Burden of a Watchman (Vol.1)

THE HOPE OF THE CHURCH:

Preceding the resurrection morning was the appalling story of Gethsemane, the garden at the foot of the hill where Jesus drank the cup of filth and woe for humanity which dragged him to Golgotha, where an extreme cruelty was meted by the Roman soldiers with inhuman treatment overly apportioned to pierce and impale the body of the guiltless Christ. The earth was soaked with the blood of the sinless One and the grave opened up to swallow up the body of the Lord. Between the borderline of life and death, the saviour cried out “It is finished!” down the belly of hell was the emergence of the triumphant Lord, Hell saw a Game Changer, One to whom they all bow. The victorious Lord ceased the key of death and the Sceptre of Dominion long taken from men, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
The enemy bow in shame of defeat, for none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. They knew not the power of Christ's resurgence, the wisdom of God, the mystery of the Cross and the conquest over the age long enemy of mankind as Christ was lifted up.
Upon this revelation of Christ, his death and resurrection; the Church was built and the gate of hell cannot Prevail against it. Contrary to the impact of the Covid19 on the world that has shut down many institutions including our worship centers, we must stand firm in the finished work of Christ that no power of hell, no scheme of man or authorities that be, can Prevail or shut down the Church; but of course they can shut down our denominations because Christ never founded a denomination but One church united and indivisible in his body.
Bless be the Lord who has weighed our misplaced priorities, and the present day churches is found wanting. Without sentiment and to the exclusion of non, today's churches are living contrary to the purpose the church was founded. We ought to be the hope of the world but sadly we have become so powerless and subjected helplessly under authorities that are themselves helpless. In time like this, the world should find solace and solution in the church; the world could have run to the church for an anchor in trouble time but sadly the church has joined herself to the world. The church left her formal love and have rejected the source of her strength. We build denominations and administrations against the Lordship of the Holyspirit, we approach spiritual matters on the table of administrations rather than approaching it on our knees, we have close our eyes to the weightier matters of the law; mercy and truth, and have laid undue burden on the sheep Christ died for, we embrace the service of God and has turned our back on the God of the service, we use God to express ourselves and has failed to let God find expression in us. The Church has prostitute herself with the fashion of the world and its lifestyles; forgetting her soon coming bridegroom. We forge strong denominational doors against the lost sheep and never show them to the saving Cross.
We all have seen how powerless our denominations are, how our administrative wisdom has failed, our empty noise are exposed, our imbalanced faith and flawed doctrines hold no substance, our unproven beliefs and jactitation has turned a lie. There remain but one hope, one sure foundation; JESUS! And to him we must return. The house divided against itself cannot stand, the body of Christ cannot be apart from itself. God has allowed the door of our denominations to remain lockdown that he might open the door of our hearts. The power of God is definitive and has never diminish in its potencies, but the church has lost it to her pride, her worldly affinity and disunity. May the Lord pull down our granite walls of denomination that we have raised against ourselves and restore oneness to the fold, may the enduring mercies of the Lord heal our land and forgive our sins as ‘We’ await the restoration of the Church (not the denomination) may the Lord keep brooding over us till we all become like Him. Amen!

Omotayo Oni