LED BY LOVE OR FEAR?

I once shared the story of my experience while returning to Lagos from Ibadan years back. Oftentimes, I preach in the bus but on this particular trip, I didn't preach. Where I sat in the bus, I heard a voice telling me that if I don't preach in that bus, i won't get to Lagos. Now, that sounds ridiculous. That was a threat. The voice didn't say preach, what I heard came to me like a threat. I took my time to discern the voice i was hearing and i knew It wasn't the Holy Spirit. That was a religious spirit speaking. If I had obeyed that instruction of preaching( which seemed right), i would have done the right thing under fear( which was wrong). Also, it may open me up to being led by a religious demon rather than the gentle voice of the Spirit. Some are hearing religious demons speaking to them yet they think they are hearing God. Have you forgotten that Satan's temptations sounded a bit "religious"? “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone."(Matthew 4:6 NLT). Satan quoted scriptures to back his temptation. That's how religious demons operate.

Religious demons do not necessarily tell people to do something evil. They can take from a little knowledge of scripture to bring their victims under control and later lead them into a perversion of scriptures. Some may hear the voice I heard and start preaching but is the instruction totally consistent with the word and nature of God? The answer is obviously 'No'. While it is right to preach, it is very wrong to preach under threat and fear. God doesn't lead that way. I didn't preach that day and here i am bouncing in the Lord. Still alive doing the work of the master. I know this experience may not go well with some persons. They may still see it as an act of disobedience but I'm glad I disobeyed a seemingly good instruction from a demon. I know when God speaks. Sorry, that was an exception. Our act of service must be controlled by love not by fear. Religion's bait of control is fear and guilt. These combination are very dangerous. Some preachers know how to put fear in the minds of people to get them do their bidding not the Lord's. The worst i've seen is in the area of finances. Some may threaten that if you don't part with certain amount of money, God won't hear you. The voice of fear and guilt is loudest during offering time in some pulpits. They have forgotten quickly that whatever is given out of coercion is not acceptable. Listen to Paul: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"(2 Cor 9:7 ESV).

I don't want people to sow into our ministry out of fear but out of love. When love controls what a man is doing for God, he'll do it from a heart of thanksgiving and worship. When love is the driving force behind soul-winning, kingdom service and giving, you'll do it despite reward. The only motivation some persons have for working for God is because they've been told what they'll get from it. A preacher painted a picture of better life, cars, houses, job, good marriage, etc before their eyes. They presented a transactional system to them instead of helping them have a revelation of why they should do what ought to be done. Stop transacting with God, start loving Him. People who enter into transactional service with God have a very high tendency of backsliding because when expectations aren't met, they feel deceived. Have read several stories of people who asked for a refund of seed because what the Pastor promised didn't happen. Oh! I serve Him because I love him. The patriarchs of old did because they loved Him. In fact, the book of Hebrews 11 told us about men who had it rough and who received promises without experiencing it's fulfilment on this side of eternity yet died for the sake of whom they loved- God. God is seeking for loving worshippers not fearful worshippers. If at all there's any type of fear we should have for God, it should be a reverential fear for God(2Cor7:1) not a crippling or damaging fear. I see people doing things for God out of a crippling fear thinking God is leading them, that's not God. Be controlled by love.