A pastor in one of my communities was doing deliverance a few days ago. He collapsed and died. He is presently in the mortuary. It was the people he was praying for that raised the alarm before help came. But he had already passed on. He will most probably leave behind a young wife and children. And you know pastors are poorly paid, apart from the very big ones. There is so much financial constraint for pastors, right from biblical times. Even in the story of the Good Samaritan, the priest crossed to the other side. Sometimes lack of resources limits what people can do.
I have done a retrospective look at many deliverance ministers. There was one in Ibadan, a gynaecologist and deliverance minister. He passed on suddenly. I know another who was afflicted and passed on. I know another from Delta State who was all over the place in ministry. He had heart issues, high blood pressure, and he also passed on.
The stress you put yourselves under, men of God, is too much. It is written: “I will build my church,” not you.
You overstretch yourselves.
You do five services.
You preach in all five services.
One message is like four hours of farm work.
Check the armpits of your suit. You will see sweat marks.
Turn your suit inside out, you will see salt deposits from stress and exhaustion.
Then you fast.
Then you shout.
Then you deny yourselves rest.
A Baptist minister went for all-night prayers. He was driving to dedicate a child. He fell asleep at the wheel, ran under a trailer, and lost his life.
Read about Peter Marshall.
Read about Robert Murray M’Cheyne.
You can win the whole world and lose your life prematurely.
When you want to die, die at a good old age. Don’t die and leave liabilities.
Let it be said like Paul:
“I have fought a good fight. I have finished my race.”
Not that you died from exhaustion, stress, poor nutrition, and sleep deprivation.
100-day fasts.
Poor nutrition.
Poor sleep patterns.
Constant stress.
This is not fair to you or your family.
It was the people he was trying to help that ran out shouting, “Pastor has died.”
Now he is in the mortuary.
Rest.
Eat well.
Take precautions.
Don’t overstretch yourselves.
The people will go elsewhere.
Demons existed before you came.
They will exist after you leave.
But your wife and children need you. Somebody was told, “Pastor no well oh.”
The other person replied, “Make I go meet am, make him pray my prayer for me. If him wan die, make him die.” Pastor come. Pastor go. Church remain.
Some of you will come here and say, “Ah, Dr. Apoki is a philosopher. Dr. Apoki is not spiritual. Dr. Apoki is not called.”
Most people making such statements are semi-illiterates.
You that claim to be spiritual — are you doing better than me in any form of life?
Use wisdom.
Don’t die and leave liabilities behind.
May God give the family of that pastor the fortitude to bear the loss. May his soul rest in peace.
