Unblocking the well
Hand-dug wells are purposely dug to provide potable water. Seventy percent of the earth is water, when you dig to a particular depth depending on the area you will find water though it may not be an aquifer. Abraham was a sojourner who left Haran to Cannan. Famine set in Canaan and had to find a way of surviving. He was rich in cattle and have servants working with him in hundreds. He was a wealthy man and a billionaire in his era. In the course of his sojourn, he dug wells at Gerar which provided a source of water for his family and household. In the process of time, the inhabitants of Gerar blocked the wells he dug. Why could they have done this? In those days hand-dug wells are landmarks to mark ownership of land and at times serve as boundaries between two areas. The inhabitants of Gerar aimed at removing memories and legacies of Abraham. Abraham was a stranger who had become powerful by his wealth, army, fame, and number. He was the epitome of what you can call a great man. Isaac found himself in Gerar by what brought Abraham there, he knew the landscape, he knew that his father was a great man there, for Isaac it was familiar terrain, and in Gerar, Isaac prospered too. This could have angered the inhabitants especially when they knew his father. Jealousies arose, in a bid to recover the lands of his father, he sought to unblock the wells that the inhabitants have blocked out of bitterness. In a land where getting water is a hard thing, they blocked about five wells that could have sustained a community. This gives an insight that it is purely a fight and supremacy over who owns the land. Every attempt of Isaac to unblock the well was met with rivalry, opposition, and serious quarrel. At a point, they told him " Isaac you are more powerful than us, leave our land". This clarified that it was simply a battle of envy, hatred, and bitterness. Such battles are the most difficult battles to win. It has no ending point and it is only God that can give one victory over such battle. This battle is usually staged by those who are very close to us. They are insiders who everything about us. The best approach and strategy to win such a battle is to walk away. Isaac did not throw a fight, he walked away from them. As he walked away he kept unblocking, and as soon as they heard that he had unblocked a well, they threw a duel on two different occasions. Isaac did not give up, he did not get tired and before he knew it he had unblocked all the wells that the inhabitants of Gerar have blocked.
Our fathers in the faith have worked so hard in handing over to us this faith. Some of them died in the process of keeping their faith. At a time the Bible was a forbidden book to have as a personal copy. It is kept in the monastery. Men who attempted to make Bible available for personal use died. Some were burned at stake. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The fathers of faith are generals with scars and marks for bearing the burden of the gospel. With tears and blood, they dug wells of faith for us. Well of life that its water cannot go dry. Some of them died in the course of digging without even seeing the water. Of whom the book of Hebrews spoke of in Hebrew 11:13
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
The well of faith has yielded great water, the gospel is being preached all over the world, souls are delivered from the pit of hell, people are serving God in Spirit and truth. Children of God are experiencing heaven on earth. What an unspeakable joy! Certain men have crept into the folds, they are wolves in sheep clothing, they are devil incarnates who parade themselves as an angel of lights. Paul wrote of them in
This set of people claim to be Christians and they are into the ministry of blocking the wells of our fathers with worldliness, indecent dressing, prosperity preaching, immorality, syncretism, idolatry, corruption, lies, flamboyant life, flamboyant dressing, and any anomaly you can think of. They are the face of the church, they are the standards of a prosperous church, they have fame, riches, and influence. Their lifestyle does not synchronize with their message. Their gods are their belly. They have monetized the gospel. They have distorted the truth. Their lives do not agree with the truth they preach. They are blocking the wells daily and have made it so difficult to access clean water. The perverted gospel has been let loose. The enemy of 21st-century churches is not from outside but within. They are not persecutors but false teachers and false prophets who have blocked access to the waters of life. The well of life that our fathers of faith strove to dig.
It becomes imperative for every Pastor and teacher to unblock the well. How? Preach the truth, live the truth, and teach the truth. It is only the gospel truth that can unblock these wells. Paul and John in their era were busy writing letters to the new Church, explaining the consequences of the negative doctrines that were in vogue then and how believers can afford it. It is a difficult task for Paul in his time. Why? purveyors of false doctrines were reputed to be Christians with influence, fame, and many followers. In the 12th century, some of these false teachers were friends with the emperor and they seized that opportunity to oppress and persecute those that held contrary views. To unblock the well, your focus is on your church members. Those within your area of influence, educate them, teach them, unblock the well for them so that they can have access to the pure water of life. Scripture says those that believe, rivers of life shall flow through them. Commit yourself to teach the truth, give yourselves to the ministry of Word and prayer. Unblocking the well is not something that you will see results immediately, it can take months or even years. Do not give up if it does not bring immediate results but keep unblocking with the Word of God. Unblocking the wells is not an easy task but the results are worth it. At a time Paul called out and mentioned these false teachers and prophets. These good blockers of Paul's era were elites who were vast on rhetorics and could easily win people over with their sweet words. As a result of this Paul took some actions part of it was forbidding women to be elders in some churches and new converts because of the fear that they might easily be won over by these false teachers who were orators. Likewise, we need to take action by calling the attention of those who God has committed into our hands to these false prophets and their teachings which are cancerous to the body of Christ. We need to protect our flock from these wolves who have been let loose by the Devil to contaminate and pollute the wells of life. Unblocking the well is realistic and feasible if we will see it as a matter of urgency that needs our utmost attention. The coming of the Lord is nearer than before and the enemy wants to pollute the church and render the gospel ineffective by blocking the wells of life. It is the word of God that brings about salvation, deliverance, healing, and sustains a believer. If wells of life are blocked, the enemy will prevail and possess the lands that our fathers of faith have conquered for Christ. Morroco, Algeria, Turkey, and Egypt were dominated by Christians in the first century. These lands have been conquered by Islam and Christians were the minority. How did it occur? It all started from blocking the wells of faith. Tertullian, Augustus, Hippo we're Christian apologetics who cried out against false teachings and doctrines. Paul also wrote to the seven churches that were majorly based in present-day Turkey. Despite the cries of the church fathers and intense digging to unblock the wells, the church lost its dominance in those areas because at a point someone get tired of unblocking the well of truth. The kingdom of darkness shall not prevail over the church. This will only happen if we chose to be light and do not give up unblocking access to the pure well of life which sustains and gives life to dying souls.
Abolanle Oladipupo
©️ 19th March 2022
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