The season of love is just around the corner and very soon Christians through out the world would be demonstrating their love through the act of giving even to the poor. It is a noble thing to remember the pauper and the destitute. But the whole idea of making giving a yearly ritual, may be without any substance. Some have interpreted Matthew 25:34-46 as the reason behind their giving. If that was what the Bible was saying, then most people would have been miserable. It is so easier to be pious in this act of giving if it is interpreted without revelation. Some would ague, "It doesn't make sense to preach or share the gospel if the people are starving" Actually the Cross of Christ is the most senseless lesson any mind could comprehend. But it is this same senseless act of God which brings Salvation and not food and clothe. The moment we replace the agony of the Cross with sympathy or self-pity, the Cross becomes powerless.

"Least of these brothers" Jesus Christ knows the difference between neighbors and brothers and He carefully explained the two to His disciples. Most of the time, we mistake brothers to be neighbors. One day as Jesus was speaking to a great crowd and behold there came His brothers and His mother looking for Him. So the people said to Him, "Look your mother and your brothers are looking for you" But He answered, "Who is My mother or My brothers?" That day, Jesus defined who His brothers were; for He explained that His brothers were not those outside the fellowship but they were those who took the word of God seriously. In the question of neighbor, He gave an illustration about how to deal with our neighbors.(Luke 10:30-37) In that Parable, the good Samaritan did not go out purposely to help the wounded but when the opportunity came, the Samaritan proved he was a good being. This was far from being good, for the saint has a deposit inside him that makes him a good being.

The only thing Christ requires of us from the world is sharing the gospel with our neighbors, but with our brothers to share what we have materially. The moment we confuse the two, we would be sharing the effect of the gospel rather than the course of the gospel. We don't want after we have fed our neighbors that they would see Jesus Christ as good or a kind hearted man, instead of seeing Him as the Savior of the world. Beware of making a fetish of your giving, because it can block the power of the Cross. One of the signs of religious man is that, the religious man cares more of the outside than the inside. The reason is that they wanted their good deeds to be seen of men. Here is the challenge, are you sure the brothers in our midst do not need what we are ready to give to our neighbors? What good would that be if we would neglect our own house and take care of the outside? Don't you know that the family is the first step to ministry? It would be insane for me to do very little for my family and give all my best to the outsider. Let's stop being amateur providers and allow the Cross to infiltrate. Nothing can make a sinner repent and come to the Lord save the Cross of Jesus Christ. Let us do well when the opportunity comes, but we should stop substituting providence to the Cross. Amen.

The common mistake in English language is trying to take two different words as the same. But the twenty first century has seen many words merging to form a single word; i.e. staying home for vacation becomes "staication". But when the Greek word "Koinonia" which means COMMON and UNION was merged, the Lord's Table meal had been taken to be REAL instead of it remaining as ritual. Ever since that merger, communion has become a substitute ritual, and it is some Saint's dream to have it administered to him before he leaves the planet. The truth is that, COMMUNION doesn't come by taken the ritual, but walking in the light. (1 Jn. 1:7) It is necessary for every believer to distinguish between the word merge and unite in order to live above piousness.

The question then looms on how to get the meaning of the two words. The combination of two or more entities into one, through a purchase acquisition of interest is what is known as merge. This means the parties involved in purchasing must all have a concern and a voice to negotiate. But in UNITE; it is a state of being in one accord or harmony to produce effect called unity. In this form, one has to follow a standard or catch the pace by which one is called. In unity, Christ has no time to negotiate with our feelings and we are to conform and obeying Him. In unity, you have no agenda of your own, but to follow what had been laid down already. This means you do not follow your wits, programs or methods, because Jesus Christ had provided the how to come together. "If I, I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (Jn. 12:32) and even if we fail, His Blood is able to bring us into unity with Him. (Eph.2:13)

It is only when we are united that His Blood continues to flow through us. If we are united in His death, we would by all means be united with His resurrection. Are you united with Him in His death and resurrection? Instead of believers imitating Christ we copy some people's idea. If a program is working for a ministry does not necessary mean Christ approves of it. When will we learn to follow Him and the throne's grace? Stop turning to the phone and connect to God through His revelation and His word. Don't shift from unity, but be consumed by it. Piousness is good, but living for Christ is the answer. Amen.

The moment we shift from the ideology of the Bible and enters into any human methodology, anything be it of a noble descent becomes useless and a waste of resources. The idea behind fellowship is not a man's institution but God's. God is the author of every Christian fellowship and every fellowship must fall under one and only concept; that we would be cleansed from all sin, anything less than that is not fellowship but a social club in disguise. "Unto Him shall be the gathering of thy people"

Right from ages had man tried to use every effort under the universe to bring people together. All these methods worked for sometime and it could no longer hold the very ideas that brought them together. We continue to follow the same paths which brought many good organizations down and we seem not to get it. The answer lies in the fact that we try to change the meaning of fellowship to be people's choice rather than His choice. In ever time memorial, God had ruled by decree and there is nothing that would make Him change and tow our line; He doesn't rule by majority. What we try to do in fellowship is to focus on the people, whilst the Biblical principle points to focusing on One; His Majesty the Lord God Almighty.

Anytime you are drawn into any gathering for the Lord, ask if the focus would be on you or God. "We have fellowship with one another" The ultimate plan of God is revealed in that verse; "And the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin" The purpose is to have our sins cleansed and be in communion. The same word is translated from Greek "KOINONIA" which is COMMON and UNION. You see, Jesus Christ want us to have an intimate relationship with Him until we are united with Him and not merge. Every human effort to bring us together would purpose to merge us and true fellowship would not merge us but unite us to Christ and Him only. What entices you to have fellowship? Is it the group you are with or the Christ you would be united with? Don't disguise social club into fellowship, because the bottom line of social club is entertainment. Remember, entertainment means, detaining you from entering His presence. Don’t ever seek to merge, but rather seek to unite. Amen.

Learning English language was a challenge for those of us who have to go through rigorous training to make it to ones final certification. One of my earliest sentences I had loved was "Who bells the cat". There were those who heard me say it wrongly, but they would not correct me until I got it right. I used to say it like this, "Who bears the cat" Later in years I confronted my stage one teacher why he did not correct me when I was saying the wrong sentence. He told me, I was so young and enthusiastic and he would not like to embarrass me. My teacher turned a blind spot towards my early stage in life and he regretted when I confronted him later in life. This is exactly what will take place when Christ comes for his Church, some would arise in judgment and challenge their shepherds for turning on the blind spot on them.

"They offer....purchased from stolen money" The priests in Amos days were ministers who turned on the blind spot; they would not warn the people of the wrath they were drawing upon them selves. They aided and abetted the generation for not speaking out the wrongs in the society. It is the same we are facing today in the body where no one want to bell the cat. Churches organize tourism for their congregation members as far as to Las Vegas where some gamble. No one has the moral guts to stand up against such push. We fear we would be branded with many names, so the best thing is to remain silence and turn a blind spot to whatever will take place. People are stuck in addictiveness to gambling and no one seems to care. The reason may be to the fact that the ministers are getting their fare share of the "booty" called the lottery and betting-Gambling

When the ministers failed to address the consequence of sacrificing with stolen money, it made them the target of God's wrath. Some ministers even boast of how their budgets are met if not the help they get from lottery and betting money which comes as a result of gambling. Some who cannot entertain gambling are doing the same in a different means. What about your hours you put in at work, does it tally with the money you receive weekly? We may say that is a blind spot, but you take excuse duty to do your own house work and you record the same hours you are expected to give weekly. The concern may not be what you are doing, but the Lord whom you offer stolen money. As long as you pay your tithe, no one cares how you were able to do that. If you fail to recognize what you offering has a direct consequent of your now and the future, your piousness will be without merit. Stop looking at your rear mirror only and turn to look over your shoulder to eliminate every blind spot for your safety and those traveling with you. Amen.

Have you ever been in a Church where your Pastor's sermon which was meant to bring revival to your soul was taken as a message for a friend rather than you? "Oh this or that person should hear this message" We often spend most of our time meddling in people's affairs rather than turning the heat over us. Churches have the habits of pointing to others in faults rather than looking into their own internal declining. We run under the banner of piousness, when we are nothing than the simple social clubs in disguise. Under the pretense of promoting fellowship, we resolve to all social vices in the society as a way of entertainment. We promote the sale of raffle tickets, couples dancing nights, Christian Comedians, wrestling, beauty pageants, fashion shows, all under the pretense banner of entertainment. Sometimes our pride leads us to hold some quotes in the Bible to support our pretense behavior. "Jesus did not come to abolish parties, so we must party on" Complacency!

The last time I checked the dictionary about pretense, it stated, an inadequate or insincere attempt to attain certain condition or quality; it is when we professed rather than intention or purpose
It is no wonder that those who assume to promote these social patterns under the pretense of fellowship of believers, were the same people God delivered when they were not saved; do you know from the behavior of buying tickets for raffles, opens the door to lottery? Or conducting beauty pageants opens the gates to all immorality and low self esteem? Or introducing dancing for couples, leads to discos and all kinds of partying? King Belshazzar gave a banquet for his nobles, but immediately as he ordered for the gold and silver goblet that his father had sized form the Jerusalem temple to be giving to his wives and concubines that they might drink from, God intervened. Why? It was because the goblets were dedicated to God and His worship only. The Sanctuary is Holy to the Lord and it should remain so.

During Amos time, the people were practicing all kinds of entertainments in the temple and beside that they did not see anything wrong in offering stolen money to God. The people made a fetish of their giving that they felt they were obligated to give to God. That is exactly what happens if we fail to recognize our sin and move to believe in our pious lifestyle as a means of pacifying God. Sometimes we behave as if God would terminate our life or would not hear us if we don't give to Him an offering. Folks, do you have any fetish shine in your worship? Fetish begins with piousness and when pious is natured works under pretense. Watch and pray that you do not fall under piousness when you go before Him. Amen.