The Mobile Church

On Friday, I took a commercial vehicle back home.

While we were waiting for the bus to get filled, I 'noticed' (the right word is not yet known. He spoke out loud enough in the bus for all of us to know that he was there so pardon my use of 'notice') a middle-aged man. He was talking with some guy outside who was either begging or selling something. I heard him tell the guy that 'you can not call yourself a Christian, others will tell you if you are a Christian or not' and I rolled my eyes. I have heard that sentence time and over again. i wonder if folks who say that ever read Roamns 8: 16 ( The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God).

Soon enough, the bus got filled and we started on our way. Then comes a voice asking us to join him in his song. Guess who was talking? You guessed right. it was the same man. After singing, he started by saying he got a message from God which was to be preached in January. Well, I was already in the bus so I had no choice than to listen anyway. He went on and told us that the message was that this year will be a tough year but in the midst of it, if you serve God diligently, you will enjoy the best (I had no qualms with that). Then, he went on to tell us more. According to him, this year, you need to make plans, work your plans and monitor the plans (I have only a few qualms with that one. That idea has been around for so long. I'll be surprised that God needs to reiterate that since that's probably what most serious-minded people do anyway. I'll have no qualms if he had emphasized making plans as you are led by the Spirit but I did not hear him mention the Holy Spirit in the whole 'message'). Somewhere in between the message, he pointed out to us that he was the Maintenance Manager of a fast growing Fast Food Restaurant (He mentioned the restaurant but i don't think I need to repeat the name)
A young man's phone rang while he was preaching the message. The guy told the person at the other end of the phone to call him back since 'pastor' was preaching in the bus. The 'pastor' immediately corrected the young man that they were in a 'church' not a 'bus'. (I have many qualms with that. I don't believe you convert someone's bus into your 'church' without their consent. I also don't think you should coerce people into listening to you because you have a loud voice).
In his bid to make the session more interactive, he asked a question (which i do not remember now) and turned towards me to provide an answer. I'm sure you won't believe what I'm about to say next. Well, I told him I was not part of his 'church' and that I entered a bus, not a church.
I guess that must have struck the wrong chord in him and I know it caught him off balance. He went off on a tirade and told me that his is not a modern church. He said his church did not permit girls to put on clothes to show off their breasts to seduce men (I checked to be sure of what i was putting on because it was not anywhere near what he was saying). Then he went on to talk about girls that celebrate Val's day by sleeping around. generally, he went on and on. I made sure I did not laugh at him (though I was very tempted). He went on to tell me that he graduated from school 17 years ago (He didn't mention the school, though) so if it was my education that made me arrogant, he was also educated.
When he managed to get a hold of himself, he went on with his 'message'. He said that God's desire was to control His children. I know that is not the whole truth because Revelations 4: 11 says 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created'. We were created for his pleasure and as objects of His love; not control.
Funny enough, sometime later, his wife called him and while he was talking he inferred that the husband should control his wife. I was tempted to ask him who has the control over his wife- God or him.
While I was ruminating over the happenings, the Spirit told me that if I had spoken up before him, I would have put forth the truth that I am now articulating. Truth!! Well, I guess a major lesson learnt is...he that speaks first in the bus decides the message the people will listen to.
Comments are definitely welcome.