The Prosperity Gospel and Me

by Deji Yesufu

Yesterday, good Friday, I took time off to attend to some private business.

I was at the home of a long time friend. My friend had invited me to his home to talk to me about my criticism of Pentecostal pastors on social media. He spoke sincerely and lovingly for me to cut it down. I listened to him and I told him I would consider it.

Back home now, and having again encountered the attached picture making the rounds on social media, I realize that I must make certain things clear to my friend and to all those who think there is something wrong with me for daring to criticize Pentecostal pastors and their ostentatious living, stemming from their false gospel.

The attached picture has Bill Gates, his wife Melinda, and some poor children in a neighbourhood, I believe in Nigeria, as they walk to church (so the source of the picture said). Contrast that picture with those of Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife in church, and as they sat on their royal thrones in their cathedral.

Gates, a non professor of God, has recently criticized the Nigerian government for its lacklustre attitude at attending to matters that pertain to the poor. Oritsejafor and friends have dined and wined with the most corrupt governments in Nigeria since 1999. They are never known to speak against any government policy, except those that threaten their fiefdoms.

Listen...

The 16th Century reformation bequeathed a tradition to all of Christendom: they challenged everyone to go to the Bible and find their religion from God’s revelation to us. The reformers ensured everyone had a Bible to read.

As the centuries passed since then, and the Bible was available to all men, Satan struck again. This time rather than deprive people of the Bible, it introduced the greatest attack on the Bible: poor interpretation or poor hermeneutics. So that with the same scriptures, Christians of varying denominations will offer varied interpretation. And churches remain divided.

But...

God’s word never changes. Jesus said in Matthew 7: by their fruits, you will know them. So, assuming we all come out with our various interpretation of the Bible: the reformed Christianity saying this and the Pentecostals saying that, Jesus is saying: you will know who is right by what they end up doing.

So, look at the attached picture and tell me there is something not fundamental wrong with it.

In the late 1960s and early 70s, controversy hit the University of Ibadan Chapel of The Resurrection, the assembly I attend today. A new breed of young Nigerian men came to church and began to teach the Pentecostal experiences they had imbibed on their trips around the world.

The white missionaries in the church then, many of them lecturers with the university, warned against these experiences and pointed the people back to the Bible. They will not listen. The Charismatics won the debate and up till today, there remains a deep preference for Pentecostalism in that assembly.

But this is where I am going:

After close to fifty years of Pentecostalism invading the University of Ibadan, their fruits are obvious for all to see.

We now have mighty ministers, pastoring mighty churches with large congregation but men who have very little voice to influence a country in the right direction. Many of these men have no reputation again as they have often been reproached by scandals after scandals.

Today, our country is deeply religious with no fruit to show for it.

I do not need a soothsayer to tell me that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way and manner Pentecostals interpret their Bible. There are no Christ honoring fruits proceeding from their lives and the lives of their followers. There are no role models among their pastors.

I have two young children and I would do everything within my power to keep them away from their evil influences.

Are all Pentecostals evil?

I have been warned over and over not to throw away the baby with the birth water. Let me say this in response: in the Pentecostal/Prosperity churches, there is no baby in the birth water. And if there ever was one, it has long been suffocated and it is dead! The whole movement should be discarded.

I do agree that not every person in this movement is evil; just as God will always have his elect in every sphere of life.

But I particularly warn against Pentecostalism because of its increasing popularity and pervasive influence on our young people.

So, beware.

As for criticizing known pastors on social media, sorry friends, I am not sure I am about to cut down on it. I would be betraying all that I know and be doing great disservice to my Lord and Savior if I keep quiet at a time like this.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1582945891781615&id=1505609702848568

Seun, Lalasticlala

True, very very correct.

The bible extols wealth, The whole old testament is filled with stories of wealthy people, prophets and kings. Even Jacob (Isreal) cheated his way to wealth and as long as he was wealthy, he was never considered a sinner. A popular man of god said "poverty is a sin", After-all biblical blessings are quantified in material wealth.

People lived after God has cursed Adam and Eve for rejecting HIS guidance regarding right and wrong (good and bad). God kept watching to see if any of Adam's offspring will have interest in divine guidance so HE deals directly with those who feels the need for it. It was after choosing Israel that God decided to express HIS feelings and thoughts regarding human's attitude through the Commandments.Few Israelites tried to live by the laws while many finds it burdensome. God later sent HIS son to play the role model for anyone who wants to live forever (as HE initially planned for Adam and Eve) So Christians are to be conscious of their spiritual needs not material needs, any religion that's targeted at solving the PERSONAL problems of individuals is unchristian! Christianity is about Christ and He focused on the problems affecting people globally,that should be the perspective behind His organization "what will be the solution to this World's problems?" Any religious group that's preaching and teaching people about how their individual problems will be solved could be likened to idol worshipping because that's exactly the characteristic of idolatry. Hence the Prosperity Preaching is satanic as it only promotes SELFISHNESS of all sorts and have NOTHING to do with interest in divine guidance that's practical in solving problems globally!

stonemasonn:
The bible extols wealth, The whole old testament is filled with stories of wealthy people, prophets and kings. Even Jacob (Isreal) cheated his way to wealth and as long as he was wealthy, he was never considered a sinner. A popular man of god said "poverty is a sin", After-all biblical blessings are quantified in material wealth.

Continue.
Then hope to get to heaven with faulty foundations like this.

Since Jacob "cheated his way to wealth", you can do 419 and yahoo business. You can dupe people, not pay for goods and services rendered, owe your staff, as long as it makes you rich.
You can even do money rituals too by killing your family members.

After all it is permissible, according to you since wealth, not the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Christ, is what makes you righteous.

You are a foöl. Sad to say it but it's the truth. Biblical blessings are quantified in riches. No more divine health or protection.

Jesus says you should store up your treasure in heaven not here on earth, where moth and corruption will destroy it, but people like you will misquote him and even abuse him for that statement.

Jesus preached and taught people about what they need to gain God's approval, cure all manners of diseases, fed thousands, controlled natural forces and lived a none materialistic lifestyle. Yet He was criticized, abused verbally and physically, accused falsely, arranged before unjust judiciary, judged wrongly and executed publicly as a blasphemer for just ONE reason! "TRUTH" Of course He died,was buried and was also resurrected, so today Jesus is very much alive. Far away from the reach of opposer and persecutors, it will be foolish to conclude that every religion calling Him Lord today actually originates with Him! Jesus has just ONE single religious group one Earth today, though most people hate hearing that as they feel it's an act of condemning their own religion. But it's true that Jesus has one organization worldwide today and they're busy doing what He commanded them to do. Now what do confuses billions of people regarding religion is the fact that there are good people practicing false worship out of ignorance and there are also wicked people amongst those practicing pure worship, the good person only need to abandon false worship if they love themselves because no matter what happens the wicked will leave pure worship at last! God will not approve falsehood because of the nice people ignorantly practicing it neither will HE condemn pure worship because of the crookedness of the wicked one in it. Moreover HE will not just agree with all forms of religion because of the large population wasting their time in it,remember HE created just TWO humans and HE never hesitate to destroy the whole Earth when HE saved just EIGHT souls!

BushWickBill:


You are a foöl.

That was uncalled for.
I'm not a religious person nor a believer in prosperity preaching.
What I wrote was an implied criticism of the church.

stonemasonn:
That was uncalled for.
I'm not a religious person nor a believer in prosperity preaching.
What I wrote was an implied criticism of the church.

I apologize sir.
I misread you.
Please pardon my mistake.