Itsey looked at the knife she wanted to stab herself with. The silver blade shone in the dark like it couldn't wait to get into her intestines or whatever part of her body she wanted to stab.
Everything in her room waited earnestly for her to make the move. She had been with the knife for 10 minutes already. Her tears had soaked her brazier.
Itsey was fed up with life! Yeah, she had a messy life. She had had it rough with guys who just came around to have sex and go. She had had a messy, very messy academic life. Her CGPA could not even light matches. Last week, she got news that her mum had hit her dad with a broken bottle and he was hospitalized. But all these just made her cry for a night and she forgot it. Her depression actually started yesterday when she went to church.
Yes, church.
After a year, she decided to try going to church... And maybe find another rich guy. After all what they wanted she had and what she wanted, they had. Money for sex. Sex for money. Period.
When it was time for the preacher to speak the word, something in her leapt. She craved God's word. She craved for something from God. The preacher picked up the mind and after 10 minutes of the talk. It seemed like she was in a dock and she was being judged. The preacher kept on talking about the doom of fornicators, about why women should cover their hair, about no-trousers, about sin and fornication... fornication... fornication, sin, sin,sin... Arggghhh! .
'God is just one hard judge without compassion. Can't He see what I'm passing through? Doesn't He know that I want to stop but I just can't? Can't He just understand???', Itsey got choked with tears. The woman sitting beside her was already giving her some weird looks.
"Madam, cover your laps. Your skirt is short", the woman said to Itsey.
Itsey had gotten to the zenith of her discomfort. She left the church. 'God can go to hell!', she thought, very bitterly.
She had been depressed since then. And now... Suicide.
It was 5:30am. The knife was still in her shaking hands.
She heard the 'scrrrrr' sound of a mega phone. Someone was preaching outside. Something in her leapt again. She wanted to hear that God loved her beyond measure. But no, the preacher was not saying that.
" you sinner, you prostitute, you evil worker...await the Lord's judgement! ", the preacher's voice pierced through her heart.
'Again?'. Itsey took the final step of her life.
"God, just go ahead and judge me. I know I am condemned. So be it."
And she pierced herself. Her eyes popped out. She looked at her tummy. Blood. Fresh blood. The blood spread to her bedsheet. She passes out. Wherever hell was, she knew she would go. She was more familiar with the devil than with this judging God.
****************************"
Dear preacher,
What is your message? What are you preaching? Do you know the effect of what you say on that guy who really wants to give up on drugs but can't?
God's love is THE MESSAGE!
Let me drop some truths:
- Rapture is not the message. We know that Christ will come for His own. But the rapture message is for believers and it should make them excited and hopeful, not sad! Keep sinners out of it. It is not their message!
*We know that hell fire is burning really hot! But babe/guy, that is not the message. Are you getting me?
*The Message of God's love is for everyone. Sinners and believers alike. God loves the WORLD. God loves everyone!
2 Cor 5:18-19
" All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
The message that God gave to you to preach is the message of RECONCILIATION not doom!
We are not in a fault-finding ministry. If you engage in doom preaching, sweetheart, you're in partnership with the devil.
God LOVES! His nature is Love! He is anxiously waiting for the sinner to come into His open arms and you're there spoiling the show.
Do you know how much damage you've done? Every Sunday, you gather people in church, or fellowship and remind them that they are sinners. You think they don't know? Why the reminder?
You preach rapture today and everyone is crying and coming to the mercy seat. Check them after 3 days, they are back to their sins because they are still not saved. Rapture message does not save! The gospel (goodnews of God's love) is what saves!
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..."
The power that brings salvation is in the gospel only!
Preach the Goodnews! Stop preaching pain!
Dargh, I am pained this morning. Too many judgement preachers. No wonder we have 20 churches on one street and the world is still bad. Please change! If you have to drop the mic and go and learn about the gospel, please do! Stop speaking death on the pulpit!