The Two Peaks

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Luke 16:13)

I want us to look at values with the perspective of mountain peaks.

What are those peaks? You may be asking.

There are two sides to a human being, two sides that determine not only what a man is made of but go so far as to determine his eternal destination.

There is the material and spiritual. Of course a man is composed of both whether he knows or not. But it is important to know that one side holds ascendance over the other. One side determines what makes him tick. One side determines his values or lack of the same.

But I want us to look at these two sides as two mountain peaks, meaning that one can only climb one at any one time; that to climb the other peak one has to first descend from the one they are on.

There is the focus and the baggage. One peak determines my values and the other my baggage. This is because even the most materialistic among us is still spiritual, only that his spirituality is negative. And of course the most spiritual among us is materialistic, but negatively so. The rest are solidly between the two extreme positions, some completely confused as to which peak they are climbing. Some even think they are climbing a peak when they are very high on the other one.

The rich young ruler (Mark 10) thought he was climbing the spiritual mountain until Christ opened his eyes (and ours too).

But it is important to realize that the two peaks also represent two kingdoms, God’s kingdom and the devil’s kingdom. Again one can very easily be ascribing whatever they are to one kingdom even as they serve the other. I also need to state that very few ignorantly serve God, but there are, Cornelius being one of them (Acts 10). Yet there are multitudes climbing the devil’s peak thoroughly convinced it is God’s peak they are on. Of course I will give you the verses I always quote.

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)

Of course Matthew 25: 31 - 46 also talks about the same confusion in peaks.

It is therefore important to come up with a few indicators of both peaks to help us determine which peak each of us is climbing as it will be disastrous to be dancing achievement from the wrong peak.

The first distinction is that one peak speaks about the pursuit of God and the other the pursuit of things that represent the prince of the world. In fact mammon is more representative of the devil than it is of things. It is only that the devil thrives in our ignorance that he wants us to think he is nowhere near our pursuit of things.

As an example, if he offered Christ the world if He was willing to bow to Him, do we for one moment think he stopped offering those things if we did the same thing? Or do we think he was tempting the Son of God with something he was not in possession of?

Yet how many times do we hear preacher after another calling things blessings? How many times do we hear preachers equating the acquisition of mammon blessing without knowing how it was got?

A thief is not blessed however accomplished and successful he is. A prostitute is an abomination however many buildings they may possess. And a drug peddler is cursed irrespective of how many pastors or churches he builds.

Money acquired without following God’s revelation could be much. But it is stubble in the eyes of God. And such success is on the wrong peak.

Incidentally being very high on one peak may have no relationship at all with the other peak, except as a deterrent to its climb.

Ambition in the pursuit of that peak will as always dictate the goals one pursues as it is impossible to set goals for the wrong pursuit.

As an example, if one is praying and fasting for a breakthrough in his job or business affairs, do we assume his spiritual pursuit is dictated by His love to grow in the knowledge of God? Can we conclude that because it involves prayer and other spiritual activities that he is spiritually driven?

On the contrary, suppose one is so diligent in his job or business that his clients and customers are always driven to ask him about his faith though he does not make evangelism an active part of the job he does. If his boss knows that there are jobs he would rather be sacked than do because of his faith, do we assume that his excellence at the marketplace is his pursuit?

Do we have Biblical examples?

Look at Daniel. We are introduced to him by being told that he had determined not to defile himself. As we go on we are shown his excellence in whatever responsibility he was given. Never once are we shown him having a religious meeting sharing his faith or running an apologetics class.

Yet what was the unanimous conclusion of anyone who talked about him? His faith. You always hear them referring to the spirit of the holy gods in him.

He excelled in his pursuits beyond those who had no spiritual pursuits.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

But excellence is not only in the preserve of the spiritually aligned. One can also excel in the other peak as well. But there are distinctions. One is divinely inspired whereas the other is self-driven. The motivation source is also different. God’s peak demands the sacrifice of self while the other demands sacrifice for self.

It doesn’t appear much different but it is.

One owes his all to God and the other to self. As is said, one has a price to his head; meaning with just the right price you can get him to do what you want.

Let me give an illustration.

A man sees a very beautiful girl or woman and asks

Can you sleep with me for a million bucks?

The girl thinks and thinks (in a very short time). The opportunity is one of a lifetime.

Yes, she says.

Can you sleep with me for twenty bucks? The man again asks.

Who do you think I am? Are you taking me for a prostitute?

The man then replies.

We have already established that. We are now negotiating the price.

Compare that to Joseph when he faced the same temptation. Acceding to it could have placed him higher than he was as I doubt even his boss could have minded it as I suspect it was his seed they were looking for. Yet see what Joseph says.

How can I do this and sin against God? The husband, his position, everything else was determined by God’s revelation.

You see, on Mammon’s peak everything has its price. They therefore have no exceptions for character or even integrity. God has no place in that peak, unless as part of the price.

One clear indicator one is on that peak is their relation with sin, especially when it involves someone way up on whatever peak they are.

For example, how do you feel when your hero is mentioned in a sin? If you find yourself looking for justification for it, it is highly probable that you are on Mammon’s peak.

God’s peak is allergic to sin and will never try to justify sin even when I am the one involved.

Another thing to notice on Mammon’s peak is the justification we develop to explain why we took the shorter and more ‘beneficial’ route. Of course we have to pursue comfort above many other things. John 16: 33 has no place for someone on Mammon’s peak, unless it is the pain of pursuing those dreams.

Another verse that is also out is 1Timothy 6: 6. One must aim higher but never get there. That is why you see enough battles once someone dies as what they had amassed is so much that the family fights for more than a generation to divide it, yet he was still looking for more. And we know the lawyers and courts had a field day as the family pursued that inheritance. Now imagine all that money; feeding the lawyers, the court system and still remain so much that once in a while a new case will arise over it. And the one who had it was still looking for it, some of them even denying themselves simple pleasures so as not to deplete it.

The saddest is something in the courts. A mother is seeking to snatch wealth from his son’s widow, whatever pretext she is using. If that is not poverty then tell me what is. Or the other one whose granddaughter died because she couldn’t access drugs yet the patriarch was a multibillionaire. But that is a clear indicator of being on Mammon’s peak.

Mammon will never say ‘enough’. There will always be a new peak to climb with new and more stringent tests. That is why a thief doesn’t stop stealing. That is why a harlot will never stop the trade even after making enough money to stop it. That is why a corrupt person will not stop being so however much he makes. That is why a grabber of this or the other will not stop even after making everything his.

Mammon gives you a small hole to fill. But it grows in size the more you pour in it. It then becomes all-encompassing that you forget why there was a hole or what it represented in the first place. The security you sought when you started becomes completely forgotten once filling that growing gaping hole becomes your obsession.

Then sleep and food become luxuries. Depression and disillusionment many times set in.

God’s peak has a completely different set of ambitions.

Probably the greatest difference is that God’s peak has attainable goals and offers constant guidance and peace when you climb it.

Do not for one moment think I am talking about the secular and the spiritual. Many pastors and bishops today are clearly on Mammon’s peak and even the unreached world knows.

Daniel was not a pastor. Joseph was not a bishop. Yet their peak was clear to those around them. The Sadducees were the bishops of those days and they were the ones who conspired and bribed to have Christ killed.

God’s peak demands that you are faithful to Him in all you do. He demands obedience to Him. But He promises guidance as we seek to walk in obedience.

My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me

That is God’s peak.

You see, the only thing that pleases God is our obedience. And the reward of that obedience, apart from excellence is peace.

But it also has an insatiable ambition, though not in the sense Mammon produces.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3: 10 – 14)

Compare that with the insatiable grasp Mammon offers!

Folly and Beauty

I want us to look at the two builders of Matthew 7. But I want us to look at them with an outsider’s eye.

I have posted a parable on the same.

But today I want us to look at it in a slightly different way.

Suppose both started building at the same time.

Who do you think finished building earlier? Who do you think spent fewer resources? Who do you think beautified his house more? And who started enjoying the fruit of his labor faster?

You see, to the onlooker, the guy who built his house on sand looked more focused, probably more visionary. He planned better and therefore produced fruit much earlier. And of course he started enjoying his investment earlier. He even had more time to beautify his house.

A foundation takes time, a lot of time. It also requires a lot more resources, even more costly than the ones used for above ground. Add that to the fact that it will never be visible and it might appear foolish to an outsider.

Of course we know that adversity does not come all the time. Many times it may take generations before such adverse weather manifests. It might therefore appear as if the short cut offers better results.

Incidentally, this does not look thus to us only. The Bible has several incidents of this.

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (Psalm 73: 2, 3)

But that is not the reality. And not only because this life is not all there is but because the storms will always come to test the buildings we put up.

It could appear okay to take shortcuts in business. Incidentally there are some who even take shortcuts in God’s work as the legit route appears too long or does not assure the kind of returns we desire.

Of course those shortcuts mean that we will start enjoying the fruit of our labor much earlier than those who decide to wait on the Lord for direction just like the one who decides to bribe instead of getting business permits or satisfying the demands of the enterprise.

But the storms will come.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7: 24 – 27)

The test must come.

Look also at the other passage.

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. (Psalm 73: 17 – 19)

God is saying that He will deal with those shortcuts. Those buildings must be brought down, however stable or beautiful they may be. And it is because God is just.

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. (Proverbs 20:17)

Yet we know that in that parable Jesus was talking about obedience to His word. And of course we know that His word applies in all of life as the giver is the same One who created everything.

Will we choose to know God’s word with the view of walking in obedience to it?

The Game of Numbers

I want us to look at some few things concerning the 1:59 challenge, if it was a challenge at all.

I suspect there was so much more than the run involved.

Why do I say so?

Why settle at cutting ten seconds from two hours when you could possibly cut five or even ten minutes? Why give all that assistance to do something that may have been remotely possible without it?

The same guy has done a minute and a half above two hours in a normal marathon. Is it logical to assume someone can’t possibly reduce that time in a normal race?

You see, changing the terrain would alone have made it possible to cut that time to below the two hour mark.

The location and altitude of the course would have made that time possible.

Introducing mechanized pacing alone would also make that possible.

And breaking wind resistance by those human pacers would certainly have made it possible, not forgetting the fact that the course itself was in a place that cut the wind through the trees and the ‘closed’ in course.

And it is absolutely possible that more runners than the one picked could have lowered that time had they not been restricted to setting the pace.

Why then combine all those odds and insist on 1:59:50? Why not set the bar at 1:50? Why set the bar so low?

Unless 1:59 was not just a number.

It was such a significant number that it had to be maintained at all cost.

Reading the analysis of the run, it was apparent that by the half way mark, the guy was running too fast for the time. He had to slow down so that he does reduce that time too much.

For those who watched the run live (I didn’t), there was so much tension on the watchers as the guy seemed to have lost the momentum and started waving at people as he approached the finish line to the point that they thought he would lose that mark. I am convinced that had he sprinted like they do in normal races he could also have reduced that mark to below 1:59.

It is therefore very clear that what was at stake was not simply proving that a person can run 42 km in less than 2 hours as I think it would have been more emphatic if he had cut the time by a hugely substantial margin. I for one could have been more impressed when the difference to the existing record would be in line with all the assistance he was enjoying.

I suspect 1:59 was a smoke screen of something more momentous, yet something that only a select few needed to be aware of.

Even the timing of the day of the run falls under such.

You see, some people are superstitious. Yet the reality is that they could be held captive by some spiritual structures.

The astral objects must align in a particular way for them to get the permission to do certain things since only then would they be in the right position to access that spiritual breakthrough.

That is what I think it had to be 1:59 or nothing. Prepare for 1:50 to ensure 1:59 is unavoidable.

I am not a numerologist and am not interested in the subject. But I suspect the run was being organized by spiritual numerologists, though not of the divine we serve.

And like Jesus said, if we give them time, we will be able to know what was so important for them that they could pour all that money to prove something that could be proven even without it.

But it would be important for us to raise our spiritual aerials to them.

Treat this as my suspicion.

What If?

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1: 16, 17)

I am reworking on this to help us appreciate the fact that the church in our generation is limping because we have for the most part lost our fundamentals. I therefore want each of us to reflect on what needs to be done for us to recapture the spark that led the very small church of the apostles to turn the world upside down when in our generation it is the world turning the church upside down. As recorded in Acts two years was enough to saturate the whole of Asia with the Gospel.

I want us to ask ourselves this small but weighty question; What if?

What if Christ becomes the centre and focus of our life and ministry?

What if self gets ejected from concern when ministry is being considered or pursued? What if comfort and self-fulfillment is never an issue when we are responding to God’s call?

What if God’s will is the guiding principle in our prayer instead of our comfort?

What if we were more concerned with the people we are sharing the Gospel with instead of those who will pity us and give us the numbers to share in our reports and monies?

What if we loved our persecutors instead of judging them?

What if we celebrated persecution when it arrives instead of ‘binding’ it?

What if like John we willfully prayed and became excited when Christ increases as we decrease in ministry prominence?

What if support is never an issue when considering ministry involvement?

What if death becomes gain from our perspective?

What if Christ is the actual centre of our Christian lives?

I want us to learn from the world today as we look at the 1:59 challenge where the world was assisting a person break the two minute marathon barrier.

How many people were involved? How much money was involved? How many people and teams were promoting their visibility? How many were in the background?

For starters, there were over 40 pace setters. These are people whose job was to ensure that our guy maintains the right speed over the distance. Yet have you heard them boasting about the pivotal nature of their involvement? They were also there to shield him from wind resistance. In other words, they were there to get tired to make sure he doesn’t. Incidentally, they are also star runners who could give him a run for his money given the chance. But their work was to ensure that he wins against ‘nature’ as it was thought impossible to make that time.

There were weather experts whose purpose was to make sure the most perfect weather was there for this feat. They have been studying to ensure that the optimal weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind) for the race against nature. They did not advertise themselves.

Of course we know everything he has been eating must have gone through expert scientific analysis to ensure that he gets only the best nutritional benefit and minimal wastage. Even the water he was taking on the route was specifically designed for the feat.

His clothes, to the undergarment, were designed for this feat, again by experts so that they remove every hindrance from his performance. His shoes were also specifically designed for this race. I was reading that that pair would cost a fortune if one was to buy it.

The location of the challenge was chosen very carefully to ensure that only the location most enabling for that feat was chosen.

And do you remember he was flown by private jet with his whole team so that he does not get ‘tired’ using passenger jets?

What I am pointing at is that there were literally thousands of people and teams that had been meeting and strategizing for years to prepare for this event.

Yet do you realize that there is only one name that you are hearing? Nobody is boasting about the money and effort they have poured in this. The challenge is enough reward. Interesting enough all of these people and teams are business driven who know that the success of this venture will mean something major for them. In fact, even the visibility is enough advertisement for them.

The rallying point is the performer, one person uniting the world.

Suppose the church operated like that? Suppose Christ was our rallying point in ministry? Suppose He was the only One we focused on when we run church activities? Suppose He was the One we focused our missions on?

… for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. (Luke 16:8b)

The businesses involved in this challenge know that they will benefit most when their project succeeds and so are not overly concerned with profits and visibility at this point. They have poured immense amounts of their wealth for this as they are looking to the future of their businesses.

Simply saying, they postponed their pursuit (apparently) to tackle another pursuit that looks completely outside their frame of business. But we need to realize that they did it because they had a bigger target. It is more of what we call delayed pleasure.

What about the incentives? The rewards he was promised to achieve the feat are phenomenal. From cars to tonnes of cash, they were falling over each other to pledge. I believe there are some who pledged knowing he could not do the impossible and will now be at pains to reconcile their unbelief with their pocketbooks.

But I want us to look at the mostly invisible systems and persons that have contributed to that feat.

Why should pacemakers who probably may have done better surrender their ambition to support this star? It must be the realization that they were doing it for something bigger than personal ambition. They took their friend’s ambition and made it their own. And it goes for all the teams, from doctors to physiologists, to meteorologists to researchers to financiers.

What does this have to do with the church? I think everything. They have simply taken the Biblical model and used it to achieve the impossible. And we left that model to copy the world to achieve spiritual success.

Suppose we placed Christ where the Bible and creation places Him? Do we realize that the world could be completely evangelized, probably in a matter of months?

That is how the first church succeeded. Christ was the only star they revolved around. They died because they would not allow Caesar to occupy that position.

Not only that, Christ was not just someone they adored. They worshiped and willingly submitted to His lordship. By this I mean that His orders were obeyed and not debated. Read the book of Acts and that comes out very clearly.

Who among us is willing to give Christ that position that is rightfully His? Who will not go until he knows what Christ has ordered?

The reason we are limping, I will say again, is that as we continue in our walk of faith we become experts at surmising what He would want without needing to get His clarification. We make decisions using experience as our guide without seeking any clarification from the Boss, no, Lord.

You see, a boss is one we can choose to obey or move on to another one. There are no such options with a lord as he has bought or conquered and therefore owns us. There is no consultation or consensus with a lord. It is absolute obedience or death. And there is no recourse with a lord’s decision.

Calling Christ Lord is very easy. Allowing Him to be our Lord is a different thing altogether. Incidentally that will be the determinant about where we spend our eternity as Matthew 7: 21 – 23 clearly says.

Why do ministers, especially pastors and bishops have a problem with Christ being Lord of the giving of their flocks? Why must they teach unscriptural and bended interpretations to ensure that all giving ends up in their storehouse which according to scripture is really their pocket?

Why do ministers who are more endowed financially seek to lord it over other ministers who request partnership, many times swallowing and aborting their purpose for seeking partnership in the first place? Does it mean that the richer structures hear Christ better than those without those resources? Is that what the Bible teaches? Do we still remember Christ’s statement concerning the rich and the camel?

Why are we more conversant with breaking news than the scriptures which have the truly breaking news as they proceed from the mover and shaker of the universe? Why are we concerned with trending things instead of scriptural revelation?

Suppose we took Jesus seriously?

But as I close I think I need to make one thing clear. There is one statement the challenge has been making, No man is limited.

I believe this is a clear point for Babel revisited.

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6)

Man is limited. In fact man is a worm according to scripture. We can only soar when we are aligned to God’s revelation.

Man as an end is always disastrous as he seeks independence from God. And this challenge had all the hallmarks of that; from conquering the weather to human limitation.

But it is a lie as life will demonstrate in a short while. Only with God are all things possible.

But let us learn from this humanistic pursuit that unity of purpose (for our purposes unity under Christ) has a capacity of achieving much.

The Bible has enough examples of this. I will give a few then close with the ones most outstanding that I model my life in ministry after.

Joshua was content to be Moses’ aide for forty years; Until God commissioned him.

Elisha was a successful farmer before his call – to pour water on Elijah’s hands. And he was content with that until Elijah left the scene. That is when you realize that he was probably more powerful than Elijah.

Andrew was consistently bringing people to Jesus; from his brother Peter to the boy with the meager lunch. When the Greeks tell Philip they want to see Jesus (probably because of his Greek name), he goes to Andrew who then helps him bring them to Jesus.

Jonathan was the crown prince, which is another way to say he was the king in waiting.

When David comes around, he realizes that this young man carries greater anointing to rule than he had. He therefore hands the kingdom to him, even pledging to serve under him.

Barnabas was notable among the apostles. Yet he took the reject Saul and grew him to apostleship and willingly served under him. It is interesting that they parted ways when he decided to take on another reject, John Mark.

He disappears from the picture but his offspring thrive.

That is what I want to be known for.

In fact, that is the actual ministry of a pastor – to grow people to an extent that they explode to the nations. And they do not have to call you papa or any other stupid endowment. The fact that they are serving God is enough reward.