[color=#006600][/color]I write you as a fellow Preacher and one sent by God
essentially for the purpose of salvation of souls through
Christ Jesus and kingdom expansion on earth.
As preachers, we know a typical Nigerian Christian
today doesn’t devout quality time to STUDY the bible
and MEDITATE. What most do is read at morning and
evening devotion essentially to satisfy their conscience.
It’s a routine, a ritual; a ceremony. Most members of
our congregation are not passionate about revelation
and the truth of the gospel hence, lack the spiritual
MIND SIGHT to understand God’s WORD and God’s
WAYS in context; hence, can’t see the real TRUTH!
The consequence of being lazy bible scholars is much
worse than many members of our congregation think. It
makes them easy victims of exploitation and deception.
As pastors, yes, we use the scriptures when we minister
alright, but you and I know, Satan also used the
scriptures as well in his ploy to tempt Jesus. Because it’s
in the bible does not make it always appropriate in
application. Right context and revelation by the Spirit is
the reward for diligent study and revelation of the word.
Many members of our congregation don’t really know
this.
Fellow preachers, it makes me sad to see many
‘Christians’ suffer today as victims of their own
ignorance and the schemes of many so called men of
God. I’m not even referring to fake preachers, I mean
real, genuine men, called and anointed by God who at a
point began to miss it as a result of pride, greed and
vile competition.
Many preachers unfortunately, stopped listening to God
and began to follow after their own lust, personal
ambition, vain glory and unbridled power.
Their bellies became their god and they began to
oppress, exploit and abuse the very people they are
sent to save; protect, preserve and disciple.
That’s why today the church in Nigeria is growing in
membership and cash but not in power, authority or
relevance.
That’s why our society is decaying – corruption,
immorality and wickedness growing in leaps and
bounds and the church can’t and won’t even take
responsibility.
The church in Nigeria today, appears to lack the
spiritual authority to ‘declare and decree’ and see it
happen like in the days of old, Hence, we can only but
play by the ‘religion’ of ‘let us pray for Nigeria’.
For how long? Is God deaf? Fellow preachers, I think we
are the problem!
Today, we are building mighty religious empires unto
ourselves. We divide the body of Christ in the name of
denomination and affiliations. We compete and contest
and fight other denominations for members and of
course money. How can ‘snatching’ an already saved
Christian from another denomination or parish to ours
be reckoned as growth? Is it not one same body of
Christ? Who are we fooling? God or ourselves?
Have we forgotten we are the salt of the earth and the
light of the world? Our real job and assignment is to
save Nigeria! We are to salt Nigeria, light up the
darkness pervading Nigeria! She is our Jerusalem!
It’s unfortunate that as the church, we refuse to see
ourselves as the answer to the crisis in Nigeria. The
bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, ‘If MY PEOPLE who are
called by my name, (Christians) would humble
themselves and pray and turn form their WICKED
ways…I will hear from heaven and heal their land.
From this scripture it is quite clear that the problem in
Nigeria today may not really be corruption, leadership,
unbelivers, politics, ethnicity etc. The reason Nigeria is
in crisis today is the WICKEDNESS OF WE, GOD’S
PEOPLE! In line with the scripture earlier quoted.
From the scripture above, the healing of our land is not
as a result of EVERYBODY becoming ‘born again’ or
moral or good, the covenant for healing of our land is in
Christians ALONE turning away from WICKEDNESS! (My
people called by my name…2 Chronicles 7:14)
This makes a lot of sense when we remember God’s
promise to Abraham not to destroy Sodom and
Gomorrah if only 10 righteous men were found in the
land.
Hence, it’s sensible to admit, the pain and degradation
in Nigeria today could be as a result of the wickedness
in the church in Nigeria, especially by most of the
leaders in churches.
It’s sad today that the church appears to have lost her
‘say’ and moral credentials to influence the leadership
in Nigeria positively.
The political class don’t ‘fear’ the church, private sector
leaders don’t ‘fear’ the church, the rich and famous and
very successful businessmen and public figures have
lost respect for the church and many church leaders.
Politicians don’t ‘fear’ Pastors like Kings feared Prophets
in the days of old. Where today is that Elijah, warning
Ahab and Jezebel to desist from evil?
No one fears or considers the church today when they
want to do wrong. In fact the church has become a ‘tool’
for political and social ambition and aggrandisement.
There’s great rot in the nation and master pretenders in
the church. The extent of looting in the church today
appears to be much worse than the looting in the
nation! Most church leaders are accountable to no one,
they claim its God’s money, yet they make unilateral
decisions on how to spend it.
Churches today boast of growth when membership
increases. It’s sad we are too vain to admit not every
growth is good growth. Cancer is also a growth! I believe
what the Nigerian church calls growth today – massive
auditoriums and increase in membership in my
opinion, could be a dangerous delusion; its ‘cancerous’
and may be injurious to the church in Nigeria.
If we have much more immoral, irresponsible and
worldly church goers filling the pews, singing in the
choir and mounting our pulpits to minister than real
believers with integrity and character, the reputation
and image of the church will of course be subsequently
jeopardised. (No clear difference from the world)
Real church growth is in love, character, integrity,
spirituality, good example and socio-political influence.
- Power and authority!
It’s having a say in the way the nation is being run
because of our integrity, reputation and stand for
righteousness.
What ‘spirit’ has really been in control in Nigeria for so
long? Isn’t it easy to see? The bible says it’s by their fruit
that you’ll know. You be the judge – are we witnessing
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost
(character of the kingdom) or stealing, killing and
destruction? (The mandate of Satan) It’s very clear, isn’t
it?
Spiritual power, authority and positive influence in the
affairs of the nation is the essence, prerogative and duty
of the Church. The church is definitely not about
massive worship centres occupied by a multitude who
accept the salvation of Christ for personal benefits and
blessings but reject His Lordship and commandments.
Drunkenness, smoking, clubbing, stealing, cheating,
cursing, wickedness, adultery and fornication all week
long; lifting ‘holy hands’ in the pews, choir stands and
podium on Sunday morning!
Truth be told, many church goers go to church today for
material gains, social interaction and solution to their
problems, not because they truly love the Lord, want to
obey Him or really trust their Pastors. They can see
through the deceit, lies and pretence of many pastors.
They just ignore.
This sad cancerous growth in ‘anyhow membership’ we
celebrate today as denominations will only but destroy
its host; the church in Nigeria!
(Someone will say now, “The gates of hell shall not
prevail.” Please note, all the seven churches that letters
were written to in the book of Revelation have ceased to
exist, a different religion now rules in those territories)
Many Preachers and many Christians in Nigeria today
have diminished the worth of the power and authority
Jesus handed over to believers. Little wonder pastors
today have become personalities comedians find easy
to make jokes about. – No reverence!
Many ‘anointed’ pastors have today, become
“pastorpreneurs” – business men running massive
financial empires! Their bellies have become their god,
their ambition has become their obsession – enticed by
the gifts from Naaman, hence, cursed with the leprosy
of Gehazi. (2 Kings 5)
Fellow preacher, go on, build all the auditoriums you
want, gather all the multitude you can, keep laying
treasures for yourselves on earth at the expense and
cost of the souls you’re entrusted with. Keep excusing
your greed saying ‘my God is not a poor God’ keep
competing with other denominations in membership
and size, beauty of auditorium and lifestyle.
Lay all the treasures you can for yourselves on earth,
keep taking the hard earned money of your members,
keep threatening them with the ‘devourer’ and deceit,
keep making God appear insensitive, unloving,
uncaring, unkind and greedy. Keep claiming its God’s
money as you spend it all on your own pleasure.
Instead of investing in your members materially,
financially; developing their skills, creating employment,
giving to the poor, the sick, the homeless, orphans and
widows and millions of internally displaced persons in
Nigeria due to terrorism, you’re investing billions in
building structures, maintaining private jets, your
personal welfare and other earthly treasures. You throw
peanuts at what is most important and boast you’re
doing welfare too. You major on the minor and minor
on the major!
You’re building schools and amassing land many
members who contributed gain nothing from. Schools
and assets that can be taken away in an instant just by
one new government policy or act on education and
land use! Is this the reason why you’re desperate to
befriend politicians?
Where exactly is the dwelling place of the Holy Ghost, in
buildings made by hands or in saved souls? Which
exactly is His current temple?
You keep the people ignorant and not share the full
truth of the gospel, you make them look up to you for
solution and make yourself a ‘god’ unto them!
Your members have no personal revelation except what
“their pastor said, declared or prophesied”. You share
with them God’s promise and hide from them the
condition and principles they have to obey. You give
them false hope year after year; hardly teaching them
His ways, except that they should “sow seeds”.
Go on, keep deceiving your multitude; take advantage
of their ignorance, spiritual laziness, fake faith, and
‘religion’ of pretence. Take advantage of their desperate
need for miracles and solutions.
Use them, abuse them, enslave them, brain wash them.
Make them see you as God!
Their maker is coming – the TRUE and GOOD Shepherd.
The Lover of their souls is coming, Judgement is about
to begin in the house of God! Beware!
My loving counsel to you, my fellow preacher today is,
repent before His wrath is unleashed.
God bless you.
Muyiwa Afolabi
Christ Society International.