The Deceptive Taste Of Wine Taste

WINE is sweet; it can nourish anyone, quench thirst and create wealth. Jesus likened Himself as the source of great wine (John 15:1). During the Jewish time people go into wine business because it was lucrative; but in the law, they were forbidden from pressing wine on the Sabbath Day or gather sheaves. But due to the benefits, the people could not respect the Sabbath law. In Nehemiah 13:15-16, we saw that the Jews bowed to the men of Tyre desecrating the Sabbath; even the nobles who were supposed to know the truth and uphold justice and equity fed fat in the compromise and apostacy.

 Beware of feeding fat in compromise and error. Most time when there is violence, disunity or an unfavourable situation some group of people desire it to remain so; every attempt to ratify it is resisted; or every plan to lift it is sabotaged. Hence, they want to continue to grow obese from the evil. Nehemiah was more interested in the overall peace and restoration of true religion in the land than in the “sweetness of the wine.” He could have taxed the men of Tyre and become wealth; but that would have protracted the evil and upheld the compromise. Today, we need a Nehemiah to see and say “no” to feasible compromise as we have it currently in politics, religion, economy, security, and across all facets of human existence.

 The Modern Church And Religious Merchandise: The past decades have witnessed discussions on the issue of commercialised Christianity.

 Prosperity Gospel: Preaching that promises material wealth in exchange for financial “seed-sowing.”
 Commercialised Services: Charging for prayers, counsellingor healing, turning spiritual duties into transactional faith.

 Sale Of Religious Objects: Selling items like “miracle oil,” “holy water,” or blessed items, this has contributed to the exploitation of the deceived.

 Church Consumerism: The “church shopping” mentality; a consumer-driven approach where individuals treat churches like businesses or service providers, prioritising personal comfort, preferences and entertainment over spiritual growth, community, and service. They treat holy things as common.

Building On Evil Foundation

 An error might be established, promoted and cherished; but an error is an error. The Jews of Nehemiah’s time did not learn from the mistakes of their fathers and make amends where necessary, rather they followed after the abomination as established by their fore bearers.

Jesus,The Source Of All Goodness

 The gospel according to John, Chapter 15, gives a deep insight on the secret to true fruitfulness. Jesus said: “Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can you except you abide in me,” (John 15:4). It is only when we are cleaved to Jesus, our source, that we can be fruitful. When we are in Christ, our fruiting will be great. The signs that we are abiding in Jesus is in keeping His commandment; the commandment is that we love one another as he has loved us.

What was The Nature Of Jesus’ Love?

While we were yet sinners He died for us; He loved us unconditionally; this love is explained in John 15:13: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Christ’s love was selfless and our love to God and others must be devoid of self if we will be approved of God and be fruitful in all goodness.
May God heal and bless His Church.

 •Ven Stephen Wolemonwu Is The Rector, The Ibru Ecumenical Centre 08035413812