By Dr Dapo Thomas
This man is a pastor of contemporaneous articulation and initiatives. He thinks like a modern man, your tech guy whose GOD does not sleep in church. HE moves around to do HIS work. GOD is a mobility in the atmosphere. HE is ubiquitous. HE is a “SPIRIT OF EVERYWHERE”. GOD is not a resident or citizen of any nationality. Those who are saying the church is a healing hibernation are not being sincere. GOD’s healings are done without borders. The church, to me, is a meeting place for the socialization of spiritual fellows who gather to share experiences of miracles through praises, worship, testimonies and song renditions. It is not a bad idea for believers to have fellowship or fraternal congregation weekly or monthly, at least, to celebrate spiritual triumph over a common “enemy”(the devil). This is one way for believers to collectively glorify the GOD that has made the victory possible. But this spiritual socialization or fraternal congregation should not be seen as a routine formality or an opening glee that should be performed before GOD comes in to start HIS miracles. Most of the miracles GOD performs happen outside the four walls of the church. How many miracles even happen in the church? The church is not a miracle centre but a location where the many miracles experienced by believers in different spheres and locations are disseminated with glorifying funfare. The church is a symbol of praise and glory not a permanent residence of GOD. When CHRIST healed the ten lepers in the street, HE told them to go and show themselves to the priest. Only one returned to meet CHRIST. The other nine went away from there. The one that came back to CHRIST was made whole. Going by this analogy, many deductions can be made:
1. CHRIST did the miracle outside the church.
2. By asking the healed lepers to go and show themselves to the priest, CHRIST was drawing attention to the church as a sanctuary of thanksgiving and Testaments.
3. By telling the only man that came back to him that he has been made whole, CHRIST was indirectly saying that those who went home after showing themselves to the priests without coming back to him had mistaken HIS respect for the church as an abdication or transfer of HIS glory to the church. For this, he made the one that came back whole and left the rest who depended on the priest of the church partially healed.
There is no doubt that GOD reckons with the church as a house of praise. But HE does not want a situation where a believer will turn an ordinary building and the man in charge of it to a monument of glory. What happens when the building is demolished? What happens when the pastor dies? GOD WHO IS IMMORTAL does not want to be identified with structures of decay and men of mortality. GOD resides in our hearts. We can worship HIM anywhere because HE is a “SPIRIT OF EVERYWHERE.” When the lockdown is over as determined by men GOD HIMSELF invested in power, we can then meet in church to give GOD the glory.
