Deadly meal

Reading through verses, 19 and 20, “And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; ye, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand?”you will discover that we are what we eat.

The nutritious content and the kind of food one eats determines how healthy and strong such a person would be and also grow. What we eat to a greater degree affects our health and wellbeing.

There are two kinds of people today that we see at the meal table:
• Those who eat for satisfaction — filled.
This could amount to eating everything and anything, which could result to ‘poverty meal;’ to them eating is about quantity of meal taken rather than quality. The amount and quantity of food intake does not mean that someone is eating healthy; it is one thing to eat so much food and another thing to eat well.
•Those who eat for nourishment —refreshed.
A little quality food is better than much food taken; nothing but chaff. The second group are those who eat little quality food to be nourished and not the quantity, this could be considered as ‘Rich meal.’ There are certain minerals and vitamins necessary for growth, repair and energy when they are lacking from our menu it means we are eating poor. It is not how much food intake that gives life, health and growth, but the kind of food and its nutritious content.

What Is Food?
This is defined as any nutritious substance that people eat or drink or that animals and plants take into remain alive and maintain growth. Scientifically, food has been classified into seven groups: Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, Roughage and Water

The intake of food enables the body to work effectively, grow and repair itself; the food taken must have the required nutrients to serve its purpose. The body needs certain amount of these classes of food to function maximally; excesses of either of these classes of food could result to illness. Too much carbohydrate, too much oil (fats) and too much water, name it can slow down the body function or possibly shut the body system.

There are things one can eat, rather than giving life will contribute to the breakdown of life and subsequent death, yet it is stillfood. This rather called, ‘food poisoning.’

According to the centre for Disease Control and Preventions about 76 million people in the United Statesod America (USA) become ill from the food they eat and about 5,000 of them die every year. Foods are meant to boost human health, but today a lot of foods are detrimental to our health due chemicals used in preserving them. More also, those that passed through heavy processing are less of good food, because they are poor in nutrients and qualities. A lot of people die due to food adulteration and deadly chemicals used in their storages.

The children of Israel at this time in Isaiah’s prophetical record were seen, taking part in the table of demons. They took part in things that directly or indirectly brought glory to the devil and demons, which amounted to them being guilty of idolatry.

There are two forces in life, God and Satan, good and evil, light and darkness. Whatever a man does that pleases self at the expense of God’s glory is idol worship. Today the world is at the stage of metamorphic idolatry. Idol worship has taken a deceptive form but the motive remains the same; modern day idolatry.

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed,” (John 6:27).

The modern day idolatry is reflected in youthful craving for wealth acquisition and satisfaction of fleshly desires. People are consumed and are labouring for that which perishes and this manifests in:
Self-worship– (Egoism)

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” (2 Timothy 3:2). Self-worship is manifested in self-centredness; they are full of ‘themselves’: I, me, myself. They are unproductive to God and humanity because their interest and motive even for doing good deed is not for humanity or God’s sake, but for self. Whenever a man does anything only for gain and entitlement it amounts to selfishness, and when this happens; such people are guilty of self-adoration and worship.

Society-worship – (Socialism)
“Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” (2 Timothy 3:4). Those at this level are lovers and seekers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Their pursuit is for things without eternal value; they pursue everything and anything new; to them life is about pleasure and what society permits.

“And they took him and brought him unto Aeropause saying, may we know what this new doctrine, where of thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (for all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing,” (Acts 17:19-21).

It is here that you see people crazy for any new challenge, new song, new grooming; the new wave Christianity also falls within this group, where every new ministry that is launched must be attended, every new ‘man of God’ or ‘new prophet’ in town must be patronised and celebrated. Here you see those who judge spirituality based on stage display and drama; they claim to know the right and wrong man of God based on display of dramatic power manifestation rather than on the depth and the truth of God’s word. They seem to know the level of everyone’s anointing.

In this category of people you see those who follow after and do everything generally acceptable, even if it is contrary to God’s word. In Daniel 3:1-6, we see the manifestation of this group of people and these are those who are guilty of ‘God-fatherism’ and religious corruption.

Satan-worship (Satanism)
Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1).
Satanic worship is characterised by:
• Seducing spirit – seduction of all sorts.
Historically, whenever you see satanic worship; you will witness nudity and self-glorification; the attention is not to the satisfaction of the Spirit or soul, but the flesh.
• Doctrines of the devil – every wind of doctrines
Drifting from the truth of God’s word is subtly done by the devil. An Angel from heaven or an apostle who have seen and walked with Jesus can preach another gospel, which is contrary to the truth of God’s word: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:8.
It is a great error to consider any man of God infallible; much study and claiming to have known all about God most times leads many into destructive errors.

The Milk Of The Gospel
“As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the gospel that you may grow thereby,” (1 Peter 2:2). Prayer is essential, but not enough for true Christian growth to be achieved; but the sincere intake of the word of God; devoid of God-father, denominational or doctrinal corruption and influence; yielding to sound knowledge and revelation of God’s word produces growth in every genuine Christian life: till we come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” Ephesians 4:13.
Sound knowledge will cause us to attain the height of maturity in Christ and be of sound mind. This knowledge is only possible through:
• Living a holy life.
• Personal study of God’s word.
• Listening to sound teaching of God’s word.
• Yielding honestly to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector,Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)

True teaching comes through the prompting and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, living a holy lifestyle. The Holy Spirit can use the teachers He has set up in His churches to teach us (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28).

“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; some evangelist, and some pastors and teachers,” (Eph. 4:11). And God hath set some in the church: firstly, apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps government, diversities of tongues,” (1 Cor. 12:28). The church will stop growing when the ministry of teaching begins to fail in the body of Christ.

True teachers produce great disciples. To gain true spirituality, maturity and stability people must submit themselves to learning of the word of God, the more grace we receive to teach the more the church grows in number, stability and spirituality and those that will take over as sound leaders are raised. When people are not taught and properly groomed or refuse to submit to sound learning it leads to ecclesiastical dwarfism and half-baked leaders. Someone said: “The church has majored in the minor;” to this therefore, the church is sick.

In John 10:10, Jesus says: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” God’s desire is to grant us abundant life, but the mission of the devil in every generation has always been to:
• To steal
• To kill
• To destroy
May I declare over your life by Divine mandate: everything stolen by Satan and his agents from your life shall be restored, every potential and energy sapped and stagnated by the pit of hell shall come alive and activated as you yield yourself to the prompting of the Holy Spirit; in the name of Jesus Christ. By your obedient to God everything destroyed by the enemy will bounce back in Jesus’ name, amen.

There is life in Christ Jesus, He is the “I Am” and He is come, that we may have life in abundance. Our Lord Jesus is “I Am” because there is no shadow of change with Him or in Him. He is come, He is ever available and ready and He comes with life, which flows abundantly, and limitlessly. When you place your belief in faith rather than in fate, which is a product of facts you will excel.

Where is your hope, on facts or on the truth? What do you think your condition is?
Facts changes with time, truth never, hence it is not subjective to time and season, but objective.
I can hear the Lord saying to you: “My son, tender and mild take away your sight from that which fails with changes; place it on that which is unseen. Let your faith be based not on facts, but on the truth of God’s word, the truth alone can set you free.”
• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector,Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)