Situational versus Permanent

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1Corinthians 13: 9 – 11)

I want us to look at one aspect of our Christian life that makes it absolutely crucial for each believer to be reading the Bible consistently and in whole.

But I want us to look at a few things.

Elijah introduced God powerfully and in an incontrovertibly compelling manner.

Why was it that the nation did not return to God completely? Why was that revival so short-lived?

Look also at the time of Moses.

These characters have seen miracle after another, from the plagues in Egypt to the miracles in the wilderness. They are actually walking on the miracles on a daily basis as they ate manna. And they had the cloud of His presence over the tabernacle by day and by night.

How do they all of a sudden want to go back to Egypt with God so close to them? Why does the existence of giants make them give up so easily?

And I need to mention something here. At the time of the rebellion they had only been two years from deliverance. We are therefore talking of a very short time as even a child could remember the miracles, from Egyptian plagues to miraculous provision and victories along the way. Forty years were meant for them to reap from their rebellion.

The human mind has a very selective memory. We choose what we want to believe and pursue. And self-interest and comfort play a very key part in that. That is why we choose what to feed our minds and hearts on. It explains why in law ignorance can never be used as an excuse because we choose what we will know.

It therefore means that given the choice I would rather eat than fast. That I would rather relax than work. I would rather watch a TV or movie than read a book. I would rather listen to a sermon (preferably motivational) than pray to hear directly from God. I would rather read a book that excites my ego than the one that challenges my values. I would rather be amused than muse. That is why comedy is a powerful preoccupation of many in our generation. Also the reason we have so many bedside and couch church members who choose to be spiritual in the comfort of their homes. Incidentally some are very faithful tithers and givers to their TV pastors. Of course the same pastors enjoy that as they evade accountability provided they churn out those entertaining morsels of spiritual truth, whatever that means.

The bulk of what many believers do is rooted in self-interest and comfort, from what we call worship to missions. We simply do them to gratify self-interest hoping that God will reward us because we are doing them in His name.

And the devil knows that.

You see, reading an engaging book for most induces sleep better than actual sleeping pills. What then about reading a book with the potential to completely alter everything I believe in and practice? The devil just adds a little boost to our lazy bone.

He therefore manipulates our feelings to convince us that the Bible is impossible to read, let alone understand. And our lazy bone gladly agrees with him.

One of the easiest tools the devil uses is the gifts God gives. He just stretches them beyond their usefulness. He convinces us that what is seasonal and temporal is permanent and therefore completely dependable. He therefore twists our minds to consider temporal reality as eternal. By doing so, we discard revelation for transient solutions.

What do I mean?

A lot of the things we value and elevate as believers are there for a season and a particular purpose. They are situational.

Incidentally, only one thing is permanent and immovable, God’s word, the Bible. All the rest, though from God, are situational. That is what Christ taught.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)

It is the only thing we can confidently place our trust on.

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89)

Let us look at a few things that are situational.

The first one is prophecy, and by this I mean true prophecy; prophecy from God.

Prophecy is situational. What I mean is that it is normally aimed at a particular time, season, environment, etc.

All prophets had an object and a message for the times they prophesied. That is why even the prophetic books stand out for the times they ministered. And I believe that is the reason very prominent prophets left no writing behind. Or have you not like me wondered why Elijah, Elisha, even Nathan never wrote anything for our instruction? And there were many other prophets we read in the Bible who had very prominent ministries in the Bible narrative who left no written record.

Even the prophetic books owe their ‘eternal’ aspect to God’s eternal nature of revelation. He showed the prophet things way beyond his perspective so that his message may reach beyond the constraints of his immediate context. And it is because God is the one who engineers events that will make such a prophecy stretch beyond its immediate context. Of course He can also show His prophet things so far in the future that they will only make sense in their fulfillment.

As an example He shows John a single army with two hundred million soldiers when I doubt the entire earth’s population had reached that point. Or the modern weapons that he had problems describing as he had not only no words but even context. You see, it is difficult to describe something you do not understand.

Let me give you an example.

A mad man saw someone speaking on the cellphone with a Bluetooth headset with enough gesturing. Incidentally I wonder why we gesture, smile and even make growls when the other person can’t see us. Of course a Bluetooth headset is a small thing that can’t be seen easily. He wondered to people nearby.

People call me insane and I do not dispute it. What then will they make of this fellow speaking so animatedly to himself as he crosses the road?

I believe that is the kind of time warp some prophets were in when they were shown things that would happen long after their times.

But the point here is that prophecy is situational. What I mean is that prophecy addresses people in situations, offering God’s view of those situations. As such, it can’t be timeless. In fact, only God takes prophecy and translates it to other situations through His inspiration. And many times it is the prophecy that He allowed to be recorded in His word, not just any prophecy.

Another situational thing is the gift. And it is explained by the purpose of the said gift. God gives a gift for an assignment. At the end of the assignment, the gift still remains but another gift or set of gifts are released for the new assignment.

We fail many times when we forget that fact. In fact we may end up frustrated, even depressed when God moves on and leaves us pursuing a gift whose assignment is complete.

Let me use my example.

God called me when I was a musician, purely Christian music. At that time I thought I could not do ministry if music was absent. From composing songs to singing to playing instruments to singing in and teaching choirs, I was all music. Any other ministry I did was either as part of music or music directly opened the doors.

As a preacher, a teacher, an evangelist and missionary, music was key to a lot of the ministry I was involved in. Of course discipleship was the foundation of how I did things.

When God asked me to leave employment for ministry, I knew that music was part of the ministry I would be involved in, though not as a musician but as a door opener as had happened through most of my ministry till then. I even bought an accordion in preparation.

Like I have written elsewhere, I had assumed that God was going to continue using me in missions to the unreached people group I was enjoying the fruit of my ministry in. I think that closed my ears to any other command from God.

He therefore literally plucked me from the mission field, meaning that I left everything.

My guitar got lost in the process. Then somehow I lost the interest in playing the accordion.

Then God started opening other ministry doors that had no relation at all to music.

By the time I was called to Nairobi, music was a faint memory. But I thought that I just needed to get a guitar and everything would change.

When I got the guitar, I realized that music is not part of the ministry God had for me in the dispensation. I didn’t lose the skill. But it was clear that God did not intend to use me as He had in the past. And the gap was just a few years.

God had closed my season of music. Of course He had opened another season. And that is not the only season He has closed over the years as I have sought to walk in obedience.

Now suppose I had behaved like most and decided that music was my core calling/ ministry? I could have been walking at cross purposes with God.

One reason ministers fall into sin and disappointment is moving with a season God has closed because they do not want to pursue new uncharted paths, even in obedience.

Imagine with me what I always say. God led you to start a small church that really grows into a mega church under your leadership.

Then God reminds you that His call is for you to be starting churches and not pastoring them.

Moving with God will mean leaving all those perks you were enjoying into an uncertain future, bearing in mind that your children are getting into college. What will you do?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)

That is what most have done; continuing when God had moved on.

Another situational thing is anointing. God’s anointing is for a purpose. And I am not talking about the anointing that is the preserve of all believers in Christ.

As with gifting, God’s anointing is for a purpose, an assignment.

The clearest example is Samson.

He was a normal man until his anointing was required, then he became superhuman. It was his assignment that released his anointing.

Your anointing as an evangelist does not lead you to become a pastor unless the assignment has changed. And it is the same with music and any other gift or anointing.

Many Christian leaders took their anointing to lead the church as an opening to become political leaders and messed up big time because anointing isn’t transferable.

Only one thing is permanent. And it is God’s word. It is relevant across the whole spectrum of human endeavor. 

Our pursuit in the reading and study of God’s word is what will make our ministry timely and of course pleasing to God.

That is why I am always challenging and offering materials to assist believers to read the Bible consistently. It is because God’s word is eternal. And God gives life to the word we read to transfer it from being logos to becoming rhema for us.

Is there a danger of running on the situational?

The name itself tells us so. Situations change.

Many have burnt their fingers when they thought their anointing would take care of their sin tendencies. They therefore overstretched their mandate beyond their body limits and discovered too late that their body is not subject to the anointing.

I remember the pastors I heard of who out of curiosity visited the red light district in a foreign land convinced they could bring in the sheaves. Most of them died of the AIDS they contracted as they spread their anointing. I believe that is what befell Samson.

That is how gifts and anointing are abused and even traded in.

What is the solution?

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. (Psalm 19: 7 – 13)

We simply love God’s word and spend adequate and quality times with and in it. Like Joshua 1:8 says, it then becomes the thing that we are regurgitating from our mouths in speech.

Like Jesus said the mouth gives an overflow of what is in the heart.

And I am not talking about scripture memory, useful as memorizing is. I am talking about constant reading of God’s word so that it becomes the one shaping my worldview, and not through reference but more through spiritual instinct (or something like it).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

And it can’t dwell unless it is constantly being fed on.