As Sent

Doing the work of God in a shoddy
manner attracts no blessing if you
are not ready to do the work as one
that was sent, it is advisable to
keep away.
I mean this with love and respect,
zeal is good but when you receive
the right call and you choose to
obey it, you must treat it with utmost
respect
There is a carnal spirit, the Bible
referred to it as the “spirit in man” and
some old ministers defined it as the
Human Spirit, this spirit is not the
Holy Spirit.
It is a spirit of religion and all it cares
about is looking good and seeming
good. It is not of God.
When you set out as a minister to do
the work of ministry in a carnal manner
in which all you desire to do is use
people or use whoever is available
regardless of their obvious ungodly
nature, you are not doing it as unto
the Lord.
You are just doing it for your own ego!
Imagine that you are a pastor and you
discover that one of your ministers is
a cheat, he didn’t cheat an outsider
and he was not reported to you.
He cheated you and you have evidence
but because you have a secular job,
you left him on the altar to preach so
that your absence will not be felt or
that there will be no vacuum…
Imagine that you are a pastor, you met
a minister through a friend, the friend
is a minister too and the friend later
told you that “That brother has some
character defects) and they were
obvious and then you take that same
brother disregarding the warning and
make the brother a pastor in your church
just because you need “available” hands
Imagine for a minute that a sister in
your church went to sleep with a married
man and you were informed with video
evidence and yet you left her to keep
ministering on your altar without any
form of discipline because the sister
is available and you must keep the
church open.
Imagine that a pastor knew that a lady
in his church is a side chick to many men
and the pastor turned a blind eye and
retained her as a minister because
there are no other available capable
hands
Why would such a pastor say he is
doing the work of God?
Is he pleasing God or himself?
What can such a pastor preach that is
worth listening to?
A man who surrounded himself with
crooks and people with questionable
character
Would you want to be associated with
such a “pastor”?
I once worked with a pastor who acted
this way, she would say “I will use
whoever is available, the church must
keep running”
She was married to a military man and
was using her husband’s influence to
get contracts with the government
She was convinced her financial
success was the key to the church’s
success, so she would leave the church
for many months in a year chasing
contracts
Of course, she needed “hands” to keep
the church running while she was away,
so she ensured there were a lot of
available hands
It didn’t matter whether the hands were
dirty or clean
I joined the church straight out of the
university and she made me an altar
minister the second Sunday I attended
the church
She said she prayed and waited on
God to send her capable hands
I was a young man who was still trying
to find my footing in life and I plunged
myself into the work because she
promised to pay me monthly stipends
I did my “NYSC” as her staff (she had
a travel agency, an oil and gas firm and
other businesses but I was stationed
at the church and she paid me
25,000 Naira every month.
One day, I went with her to pray for a
friend of hers, a German lady who had
cancer
The lady got healed
Out of gratitude the lady offers me a job,
a good job
This pastor said “No”
I wasn’t as smart as I am now at the
time and I assumed she had my best
wishes at heart
I declined the offer
Then we went for a zonal church event
(a football match) and I was asked to
be the commentator
I did quite well.
The zonal church immediately wrote to
her asking her to transfer me to them
for paid employment
She tore the letter (The assistant pastor
later told me)
Then she traveled to Abuja to chase a
contract and I got a job somewhere in
Ojota, Lagos State
Weeks after I started the job, one of her
staff members had an accident and was
killed on the spot
When she was told she rushed down to
Lagos
She heard I had gotten a job and she
said the death was my fault (this was after
months of not paying salary and I had
to feed) “if you were on your knees praying,
no evil would have befallen me, my company
or the church” she said.
I tried very hard to raise that brother from
the dead, but my efforts were futile
When we were on our way home from the
mortuary she said “You have to quit that job.
I asked God to send me capable hands so
that I can face my business and I will use
any hand available.
You are a good hand but if you’re not
available you are of no use to me.
I promise to ensure that you rise as
high as possible under my tutelage.
Just pray that I get this contract, I will
find you a wife and settle you so that
all you will be doing is pray and ensure
my progress and that of the church.”
Her words made sense to her but at
that point I realized something.
I was just a tool she was using to
play “Pastor”
She was not really called of the Lord
and I was!
God called me on September 17, 2007.
Two years before I met her.
I decided to leave
Then she made her next move, she said
God told her I am the husband to one
of her daughters in America.
Oh, oh!
I ran.
(I met another pastor who needed a fresh
hand at Agiliti, Mile 12, Area of Lagos and
i took the offer)
Another brother who joined the church
and was active in the choir took the deal
about marrying her daughter and she used
him for another five years as her PA
before discarding him.
(He was thrown out empty-handed and
because she accommodated him in her
boys quarters he was left stranded and
empty-handed.
The brother ran to me for help and i did
all i could to ensure he got back on his
feet)
I went to see this pastor in 2019, when
her husband died.
I went on my knees and apologized to
her for the manner with which I left and
she said she has forgiven me but by
that time she had heard and seen the
wonders God has turned my life to
Dear young ministers, please run from
users and abusers who present an
“I will help you” front but are only using
you to fill a gap.
Their characteristics are listed above
They just want to deliver a “service” but
they have no regard for your development
or that of those they can use to achieve
their purpose
If the devil is available, they will put
him on the altar
Please don’t be like them, the work of
ministry is delicate and human power and
might cannot do it
It must be done only by the spirit.
Do you know the funny thing?
When you decide to leave such users,
they get defensive and angry!
A true man of God is happy to leave
people grow and thrive and leave them
to continue the work.
Users however only see you as a tool
and losing you means they will have to
find another or do the work themselves.
You can also have a “user” as a church
member or ministry member!
All such want to do is use you to climb
the ladder of ambition
Watch out for the signs
Hirelings do not love as God loves,
they are selfish and they do not follow
the tenets of the scripture as they
ought to
There are many of them in the church today
You must do your best to set your course
with God straight and walk in your calling!

I wish you well

-GSW-