OF CONSCIENCE AND CORRUPTING INFLUENCES (4)

“This wise man continued: “As Jesus grew up he worked in the trade of a carpenter, not a trade known for its wealth. How did Jesus become rich with a step-dad who was only a carpenter? There is absolutely no indication anywhere that he was wealthy from his family or from travelling with His disciples…?” Now you can’t beat arguments like these can you? The wise men who visited Jesus as a young child, gave Him spiritual gold, frankincense and myrrh. There are no rich people in Ajegunle and we all have to be bankers and IT Specialists to be wealthy! And of course, you are doomed to poverty if your parents were poor. In other words, M.K.O. Abiola was a myth!"

I know that the debate on the financial and material status of the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry has raged for ages and that it probably would never be resolved till His return. I know and understand most of the arguments for the position that He was poor, and they are all based on passages from the Bible. We may as well review some of them before proceeding any further.

According to proponents of the “Poor Jesus” idea, He was poor right from birth. They see Luke 2: 4-7 as evidence if this. That passage reads: “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Yet the passage did not in any way suggest that Joseph could not afford to pay for a room in the inn. It says there was no room. In other words, it was fully booked! When this was pointed out, one “Poor Jesus” theorist retorted: He should have booked ahead! But as another commentator put it: “He (Joseph) was prosperous enough to marry…He was looking for an inn, implying he could afford to pay. They were just full, and he was in a last minute predicament. I’ve slept in my car because no motels were available, and I was tired...”

Another widely canvassed evidence of Jesus’ deprived childhood, according to those so minded is found in verses 22-24 of the same chapter of St Luke’s Gospel: “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” It is argued that the reference to the “Law of the Lord” here is to Leviticus 12 which in verses 6-8 read: “And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” Some Bible scholars conclude from this that Jesus’ family must have been so poor as to be unable to afford a lamb for the sacrifice and so, had to settle for doves. This is quite logical, but as another scholar pointed out, “it is not certain that the alternative offered in Leviticus was still an active custom; possibly everyone offered birds by the time of Jesus.” This was after all, 1,400 years or so later!

There are those who say that it simply was impossible for Jesus and his earthly family to be rich because as one scholar put it, “archaeological excavations of Nazareth from the 1950’s show the village of Jesus' day were occupied by poor agricultural people.” This wise man continued: “As Jesus grew up he worked in the trade of a carpenter, not a trade known for its wealth. How did Jesus become rich with a step-dad who was only a carpenter? There is absolutely no indication anywhere that he was wealthy from his family or from travelling with His disciples…?” Now you can’t beat arguments like these can you? The wise men who visited Jesus as a young child gave Him spiritual gold frankincense and myrrh. There are no rich people in Ajegunle and we all have to be bankers and IT Specialists to be wealthy! And of course, you are doomed to poverty if your parents were poor. In other words, M.K.O. Abiola was a myth!

There is possibly no end in sight for this debate because the financial status of Jesus was never really an issue in the Bible. Was that because, wealth was unimportant? Was it because His material status was a given? I think it is the latter. The truth is that Jesus never lacked! He had access! And, properly understood, that is what true prosperity is! If he Had to pay tax, He could send someone to extract it from the mouth of a fish. If He had to feed any number of people, he could multiply tiny pieces of fish and fist-sized loaves of bread; if He needed a place to have dinner, he could ask for anyone’s penthouse without fear of refusal. The same applies to a ride! Even at death He was buried in a tomb fit for royalty. If the Lord Jesus was poor, I sure would like to be!

But let us for a moment assume, without conceding, as my lawyer friends would have put it, that Jesus was born dirt poor, lived in deprivation and died in poverty, one of Biblical passages often quoted in support of that position put an interesting new twist to the tale. That passage, 2 Corinthian 8:9 reads: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Matthews Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible had this to say on the verse: “And you know, saith the apostle, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9), that though he was rich, as being God, equal in power and glory with the Father, rich in all the glory and blessedness of the upper world, yet for your sakes he became poor; not only did become man for us, but he became poor also. He was born in poor circumstances, lived a poor life, and died in poverty; and this was for our sakes, that we thereby might be made rich, rich in the love and favour of God, rich in the blessings and promises of the new covenant, rich in the hopes of eternal life, being heirs of the kingdom. This is a good reason why we should be charitable to the poor out of what we have, because we ourselves live upon the charity of the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, this Bible scholar, who most certainly cannot be branded a prosperity preacher, identified the riches of God which Jesus sought to bequeath to us through his poverty includes such “blessings and promises of the new covenant” that would enable us to “be charitable to the poor out of what we have.” You cannot give what you don’t have, can you?

Having established that financial and material prosperity is a part of the divine plan, I shall hopefully wrap this up next week by showing what a Biblically sound wholesome teaching on Prosperity should look like. I mean the kind that I have received over the years from my teachers and mentors; the kind that I know is preached in a majority of the churches, but which promotional sound-bites and commentator biases have tended to obscure.

From My Mail Box
RE: CONSCIENCE AND CORRUPTING INFLUENCES (1)
I always shy away from commenting about men of God…I didn’t read Nyiam’s piece, but from excerpts culled from it in your write up, I know there will be a lot to agree/disagree with. It is important as you have said that we stay balanced in our support of Prosperity or a lack of it. It will be fool hardy to insist that God didn’t tell Adeboye to buy a jet, since we were not there, but it is also difficult to quickly agree it was God, because the private jet will sit idle for most of the year (I think). If the private jet was not purchased because the Man of God needs to be all over the world almost the whole year, then its usefulness is in question and therefore the question of where the instruction to buy or not to buy can easily be determined. Don’t get me wrong, people of God should not be answerable to the world for their actions but we are certainly answerable to God and the people of God.
Uche Biosa (Mrs),
Marina, Lagos

OF CONSCIENCE AND CORRUPTING INFLUENCES (3)

I have had it said that Jesus was poor. Interesting! The Son of El Shaddai, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills; who owns the gold and the silver, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof, poor? Think again! If that were true, why did He need a treasurer? How was He able to engage in charitable works which, He obviously engaged in or some of His disciples would not have thought that He had sent Judas on such an assignment on the day He was to be betrayed?”

As I asserted last week, God did not mince words about His desire for His children to prosper materially. As we saw from the Bible, when He created man, he provided abundantly for Him. He did not intend for him to live in lack. He didn’t stop at providing him with the essentials, he placed precious stones at his disposal.
When man fell, it was not through the so called corrupting influence of prosperity, it was through that of misinformation. That most probably explained why he did not hold back His material provision from Noah and his descendants in the post-diluvian age. Instead, He blessed them the same way, He did Adam at creation.

Last week’s piece concluded in these words: ‘Anyone faintly acquainted with the Bible knows about Abraham, the Abrahamic covenant and the great material prosperity that accrued from it. That he “…was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2), even as Abram did not hinder his destiny as “father of many nations” Such was his material state that the Bible said of him towards the end of his earthly sojourn: “And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). And if you thought that was vague, listen to this testimony of his servant: “And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses” (Genesis 24:34-35).’

Continuing the authentication of God’s delight in the material and financial prosperity of his children, let’s see what the Bible records about Abraham’s immediate descendants. The story of Isaac, Abraham’s son, is in particular currency today because of the global financial meltdown. Everywhere the word is preached in the current economic situation, he is the poster boy of prosperity in famine. And for good reason too.

The 26th chapter of Genesis tells the astounding story of how Isaac prospered right in the midst of famine in these words: “And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…And Isaac dwelt in Gerar…Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” (verses 1-4, 6, 12-14).

This is yet another proof that God said what He meant and did what he said. Stay where you are and I will bless you, He told Isaac and when Isaac did, the Bible did not say that he became a spiritual giant, which he may well have been; the good book records instead that he waxed great materially “for he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants…”

Jacob, later known as Israel followed in the footsteps of both his grandfather, Abraham and his father, Isaac. In Genesis 32, we saw him returning home after his sojourn abroad a prospered man who could send a message to his estranged brother, Esau in these words: “… I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight (verse 5).” Not only that, he was able to offer a “present for Esau his brother; (of) Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals” (verses 14 &15).

In his latter days, when drought once again came upon the land and Egypt was the food storehouse of the entire region, he could afford to buy at any price from wherever else in the world. The Bible’s account of preparation for his children’s second journey to buy food in Egypt includes this revealing episode: “And their father Israel said unto them…take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight” (Genesis 43:11 -12).

This is not the place to recall how Israel and his children ended up in Egypt where Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers and whom the father believed was dead, held sway all through famine. But the reader might want to recall that even in Egypt they prospered materially continually. Pharaoh offered them and Joseph settled them in the choicest real estate and agricultural land available in Egypt, a place called Goshen (see Genesis 47:6, 11). And of their material state, the Bible reports first in Genesis 47:27: “Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly” and in Exodus 1:7: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

It is a well known part of Jewish history that on account of their prosperity, their Egyptian hosts became hostile and under a new Pharaoh, “which knew not Joseph”, as the Bible puts it, they were enslaved for a season. It is however also part of Bible-recorded history that they did not leave the land of their enslavement in penury. The Bible chronicled their eventual dramatic exit this way: “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children… and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle (Exodus 12: 35-37).

Lest we forget, I launched into this rehash of Biblical history to clear whatever doubts anyone might have about material prosperity as an integral part of God’s plan for His children. It is also to counter any notion that when God talks prosperity and/or blessing, He is being spiritual! God indeed is a Spirit, but He created the material, located them here for the use of His children whom He has placed here to occupy till He comes.

I have had it said that Jesus was poor. Interesting! The Son of El Shaddai, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills; who owns the gold and the silver, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof, poor? Think again! If that were true, why did He need a treasurer? How was He able to engage in charitable works which, He obviously engaged in or some of His disciples would not have thought that He had sent Judas on such an assignment on the day He was to be betrayed? Chapter 13 of the Book of John recorded how Jesus abruptly announced that one of those seated at table with Him was set to betray Him. Asked which of them would dare do a thing as dastardly as that, the Lord Jesus indicated it was Judas. The Message rendition of the Bible conveys this clearly: “Jesus said, ‘The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I've dipped it.’ Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him. ‘What you must do,’ said Jesus, ‘do. Do it and get it over with.’ No one around the supper table knew why He said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor (verses 26-29).”

No, Jesus couldn’t possibly be poor! And so shouldn’t be any of His siblings. (Continues).

Pix: Lt Col Tony Nyiam...his serial inspired this.

OF CONSCIENCE AND CORRUPTING INFLUENCES (2)

The point being made here is this: God did not quibble about prosperity. He said what he meant: that he wants his children to prosper materially. The Bible clearly states that he indeed delights in the prosperity of His people. And indeed He did not just say it; He acted it all through biblical history. Indeed, God is so particular about the material wellbeing of His people that right from the onset, and all through biblical history, the Bible records how material prosperity was one of the distinguishing marks of His people. Perhaps some authentication will help here.

I was saying that a disproportionate concentration on the abuses of prosperity teaching is responsible for the kind of conclusion that many commentators reach about the subject. And I boldly declare, because I know it to be true, that far from been corruptive in its influence, wholesome prosperity teaching is indeed purifying.

But first, what is prosperity teaching or prosperity theology as Tony Nyiam put it in his three-part newspaper serial, The Corrupting Influence of Prosperity Theology, which is my inspiration for this contribution. The simplest way to answer this is by defining the word or concept “prosperity” as used in the Bible.

This is necessary because of a popular notion among opponents of “prosperity theology”, which Tony Nyiam strongly asserted in his write-up in these words: “It is often forgotten that the word 'prosper', in the spiritual sense, and the way it is used in the Scripture, means to excel in the totality of one's being - body, soul and Spirit. The biblical idea of prosperity is not the 'material prosperity' which many of our men of God mistake for the objective of prosperity theology. If that was not so, the Spirit of God, speaking through Zechariah, would not have questioned the already materially-rich King Joash and his people: "Why transgress the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper?" (2 Chronicles 24:20). It is not just about money, riches and other material wealth. Thus, in the Third Letter of John we are each wished ‘above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth’ (3 John 1:2).”

My study of the scriptures has shown that at its most basic, prosperity simply means success. And I wish to state that, no matter how much we try to spiritualise things, the word is used more in relation to the material, the earthly, the here and now, rather than in relation to the spiritual. Even in the famous 3 John 1:2, the beloved apostle had to make a distinction between the spiritual and the physical.

As for the King Joash example quoted above, it must be pointed out that Zechariah was simply doing what prophets do – prophesy, foretell or forth-tell. He was telling Joash what will become of him and his people, not describing their current state. And what he prophesied came to pass; their “prosperity” soon became somebody else’s spoil: “And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus (2 Chronicles 24:23).

Without turning this into a Bible study session, let’s check out a few of the Hebrew root words translated into prosper, prosperity, and prosperous in English.

One of the more commonly used is “tsalach,” which according to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary means, “to push forward”. Literally or figuratively, it also means “break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable and prosper. Another one is “tobe” which simply means good, but which also translates, among others to, among others, favour, pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperity, wealth and welfare. Another well-known one is “shalom”. Strong says this popular word literally means safe or safety. Figuratively and abstractly however, it is also rendered as well, happy, friendly; and welfare, that is, wholeness, health, prosperity and peace. You may know that it is used as a greeting among the Jews and some Christians. There is also “shelve” and it means security and prosperity.

The New Testament, incidentally, mentioned the word only thrice using the Greek root word “euodoo” which Strong’s dictionary says means contextually, “help on the road”, that is, “succeed in reaching” and figuratively, “to succeed in business affairs”. One can go on and on. No matter the context, you won’t find anywhere in the Bible where the word, prosper or prosperity was used to mean anything but the physical. Name the root word: is it sawkal, or halak; tselakh or shalah; shalev or kasher, none, absolutely none has any spiritual connotation.

The point being made here is this: God did not quibble about prosperity. He said what He meant: that he wants his children to prosper materially. The Bible clearly states that He indeed delights in the prosperity of His people. And He did not just say it, He acted it all through biblical history. Indeed, God is so particular about the material wellbeing of His people that right from the onset, and all through biblical history, the Bible records how material prosperity was one of the distinguishing marks of His people. Perhaps some authentication will help here.

The Bible records in chapter one of the book of Genesis how God created the heaven and the earth, the animals, birds and all else climaxing it with the making of man in his image and after his likeness. Verses 28-30 records what followed like this: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

For the avoidance of any doubts, the word “bless” here takes its root from the Hebrew word “barak” which contextually means to confer benefit upon abundantly. In order words, God prospered man from Day One!

If that is not convincing enough, of God’s material prosperity agenda, let’s see the environment God placed his first man, as described in the Bible: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2: 10-15).

Even when man fell and God eventually decided to begin again, as it were, through Noah, His prosperity plan did not change. Right after the first rain had ceased and the flood ended, what did he do? He blessed the new first family in these words: “ And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things” (Genesis 9:1-3).

Anyone faintly acquainted with the Bible knows about Abraham, the Abrahamic covenant and the great material prosperity that accrued from it. That he “…was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2), even as Abram did not hinder his destiny as “father of many nations” Such was his material state that the Bible said of him towards the end of his earthly sojourn: “And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). And if you thought that was vague, listen to this testimony of his servant: “And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses (Genesis 24:34-35). (Continues Next Week)
PIX: Lt col Tony Nyiam(rtd)...inspired this serial

CONSCIENCE AND CORRUPTING INFLUENCES

“But before that, I wish to state categorically that while I concede that the ownership of a private jet is incongruous with the humility and simplicity of comportment of this particular man of God, I do not consider a personal jet as so out-of-this-world that its ownership or lack of it should define the spiritual health of an Adeboye or any church leader for that matter. God does not have any problems with His children having things; he is concerned about things having them. ”

The unfolding tragi-comical political drama in Ekiti is taking on the character of a soap opera, with all its twists and turns, reflecting the ebbs and flows of life, flashes of nobility and humaneness and sometimes downright silliness. The Ekiti saga also has another major characteristic of the soap, it’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.

What do I mean by that? Anyone who thinks that curtain-call is near, because of the declaration of Engr Segun Oni as the lawfully returned winner of the Ekiti governorship supplementary election on last Tuesday, and his swearing-in the next day, needs to go and watch more soaps! There are several more episodes ahead and they promise to be as exciting and revealing as ever. How it will end? God never ends anything on a negative.

It suffices to repeat here today what we said last week in our discussion on the subject of conscience: “…Mrs Adebayo has raised a weighty matter and I hope, she did so, not lightly, for to trifle with her conscience and with the democratic will of a people is to pour upon herself, hot coal – and it burns! The same applies to all who are actors in this nauseating drama.”

Talking about conscience, that word was used in yet another important context last week. In a three-part treatise by Tony Nyiam titled “The Corrupting Influence of Prosperity Theology”, the vexed issue of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye’s supposed private jet came up for mention. Adeboye is the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

In a really refreshing series, Tony, a retired military officer, wrote as follows: It is unChristlike for a man of God to become a copy-cat of those who are attracted to the super (materially) rich life-style. This is especially so when many of those paying tithes to the pastor's church are struggling to make a living. It is undoubtedly unwise of Pastor Enoch Adeboye to have allowed himself fall into the temptation of the mighty's private jet ownership life-style. This runs contrary to the biblical allusion to the fact that Christianity is not particularly a calling of the mighty and the noble. Isn't this why Paul said that "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Corinthians 2:27)?”

He continued: “Pastor Adeboye needs to search his conscience. For it is only then will he understand and realize what our Lord meant by the declaration "My Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). I do hope Pastor Adeboye does not, in response to this request that he searches his conscience, invoke the usual self-flattering claim that God told him to buy such an expensive private jet airline. It is the ego that has driven Pastor Adeboye to make such an unwise decision. For Pastor Adeboye to be going for a life style that the public, even in richer countries like the USA, are criticizing is a big mistake. An insensitive one at that. Pastors must always remember Paul's warning against being self-interest driven: "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled" (Titus 1:7)… Pastor Adeboye has always seemed immune to this lavishness. Recent events show that things may be about to change. We pray this does not happen to a pastor who has, in the past, done much for the body of Christ.”

I agree absolutely that Pastor Adeboye does need to search his conscience; so do we all. In fact I would be surprised if he needed Tony’s advice to do so. I expect that kind of exercise to be second nature to a man God has used so tremendously in His vineyard. But what I find unacceptable is Tony’s pre-emptive strike. Perhaps it is the soldier in him, but he certainly betrayed intolerance of any response that runs counter to his opinion when he said “I do hope Pastor Adeboye does not, in response to this request that he searches his conscience, invoke the usual self-flattering claim that God told him to buy such an expensive private jet airline. It is the ego that has driven Pastor Adeboye to make such an unwise decision.” The point here being that Tony either does not believe that God does speak to His children or that if He does, God is bound by Tony’s own understanding of His will.

This is the kind of flaw that runs through the certainly well-meaning exertion of the writer on the subject of Prosperity, which has become a major weapon of the enemy is sustaining division and widening the gulf within the One United Church that the Lord Jesus Christ built.

But before that, I wish to state categorically that while I concede that the ownership of a private jet is incongruous with the humility and simplicity of comportment of this particular man of God, I do not consider a personal jet as so out-of-this-world that its ownership or lack of it should define the spiritual health of an Adeboye or any church leader for that matter. God does not have any problems with His children having things; he is concerned about things having them.

Let me state also that I agree substantially with Tony's position on the rise of materialism among the clergy in Nigeria as in many parts of the world. And without mincing words, I admit that this is much more pronounced in the wing of the Church that I belong to - the charismatic/Pentecostal movement. But I do find Tony's thesis overly dismissive of financial and material prosperity as less than godly, not to say ungodly. And this is certainly untrue of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as I shall try to demonstrate briefly.

What is true is that, as with everything, balance is quintessential; and that seems to be in short supply today, even in the Church. Unfortunately Tony also manifests this trait in his piece. If we excuse the headline, nowhere in the piece did Tony identify anything good about the so-called prosperity theology, or is it corruptive through and through and should therefore never be preached? Yet he says he is of the holistic school! To show that sincere as this well regarded man is, he is sincerely wrong on this issue, one may ask: Shall we shut down the television stations, close all the newspapers and magazines and yank all radio stations off air because of the “corrupting influence” of the media? Tony canvassed a place for political theology; doesn’t that have any corrupting influences?

He himself put his finger on the heart of the matter when he wrote: “It is often forgotten that the word 'prosper', in the spiritual sense, and the way it is used in the Scripture, means to excel in the totality of one's being - body, soul and Spirit. The biblical idea of prosperity is not the 'material prosperity' which many of our men of God mistake for the objective of prosperity theology. If that was not so, the Spirit of God, speaking through Zechariah, would not have questioned the already materially-rich King Joash and his people: "Why transgress the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper?" (2 Chronicles 24:20). It is not just about money, riches and other material wealth. Thus, in the Third Letter of John we are each wished "above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 1:2).”

In other words when the Bible speaks about prosperity, “money, riches and other material wealth” is inclusive. Would the gospel be complete were we to ignore or deliberately downplay these components of prosperity? Certainly not! At its most basic, a wholesome teaching on prosperity would be one that recognises that the Christian’s spiritual health is as important to God as his physical and financial well-being. 3 John 1:2 quoted by Tony makes that crystal clear.

While I do not wish to turn this into a rebuttal of Colonel Nyiam’s piece since, as I said earlier, there are substantial areas of agreement; I think it is useful to take a close look at God’s position on the financial and material well-being of His children as revealed in the Bible. This is particularly so because, as we shall see, true biblical teaching on prosperity, far from being corrupting in its influence, has a purifying influence. The problem has been a disproportional focus by commentators on its abuse. (Continues Next Week)
PIX:Lt, Col Tony Nyiam (rtd)

CONSCIENCE AND EKITI’S RE-RUN ELECTION

“Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes conscience as “That faculty of the mind, or inborn sense of right and wrong, by which we judge of the moral character of human conduct. It is common to all men.” In this age of relativism, where everything is “right” or “wrong”, relative to other things and therefore, where nothing is accepted as inherently right or wrong in itself, you can understand the import of the phrase “as a Christian”. It is simply saying, my heart, led by the principles of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, adjudges this action or omission as “right” or “wrong”. There is therefore such a thing as ‘Christian conscience.’”

Chief Mrs Olusola Ayoka Adebayo did the unprecedented last Tuesday. She resigned her position as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, three days after supervising the Court of Appeal-ordered rerun of the election for the office of state governor. She had announced results from five of the ten local governments. With elections in one of the local governments, Oye, postponed, results from four of the remaining five were supposedly being collated when news filtered out that she had taken ill and was unable to continue with the process.

According to the purveyors of this information, the stress of the job had been too much for the 74-year-old woman. But Mrs Adebayo reportedly disowned this explanation in a phone conversation with the state chairman of one of the parties. A newspaper report quoted her as saying late on Saturday night: "I thank God; I’ve left the place. I can’t do anything against my conscience. I’m a Christian. They want me to announce fake results. I can’t – at my age; for how much I’m hale and hearty; I’m not ill. I’m fine... I’m the only one permitted to declare results, but I’ve told everybody that I won’t work against my conscience…I promised fairness and I won’t change my stand. Thank you."

This theme was to feature in her now controversial “resignation letter” three days later. In the letter, written on her personal letter head, Mrs Adebayo said as follows:

"It is with heavy heart that I am writing to inform you of my resignation as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State. In accordance with the rule of law, the on-going election in Ekiti State was supposed to be the election that will enhance the image of INEC electoral process in our dear country, Nigeria and the whole black race. Unfortunately, the circumstances changed in the middle of the process; therefore, my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me to further participate in this process. I thank you and my great country, Nigeria, for giving me the opportunity to serve".

As you might have guessed, it is her reference to “my conscience as a Christian” that is of significance to this column. What is conscience? Is there such a thing as “conscience as a Christian” and how much of that has been in evidence in this particular episode of the Nigeria’s tragic-comic political drama?

A simple dictionary meaning of the word, conscience is “a moral sense of right and wrong, especially in relation to conduct.” Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes conscience as “That faculty of the mind, or inborn sense of right and wrong, by which we judge of the moral character of human conduct. It is common to all men.” In this age of relativism, where everything is “right” or “wrong”, relative to other things and therefore, where nothing is accepted as inherently right or wrong in itself, you can understand the import of the phrase “as a Christian”. It is simply saying, my heart, led by the principles of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, adjudges this action or omission as “right” or “wrong”. There is therefore such a thing as “Christian conscience.”

The most famous reference to conscience in the Bible is in chapter three of the book of First John. In verses 20 and 21, the Apostle wrote: “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

Matthews Henry, the famous Bible commentator had this to say in his discussion of these verses of scripture: “Our heart here is our self-reflecting judicial power, that noble excellent ability whereby we can take cognizance of ourselves, of our spirits, our dispositions, and actions, and accordingly pass a judgment upon our state towards God; and so it is the same with conscience, or the power of moral self-consciousness. This power can act as witness, judge, and executioner of judgment; it either accuses or excuses, condemns or justifies; it is set and placed in this office by God himself.”

Henry cross-referred to Proverbs 20: 27 which reads: “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly”. He declared: “The spirit of man, thus capacitated and empowered…is a luminary lighted and set up by the Lord… taking into scrutiny and viewing the private recesses and secret transactions of the inner man…Conscience is God's vicegerent, calls the court in his name, and acts for him… God is chief Judge of the court: If our heart condemn us God is superior to our heart and conscience in power and judgment; hence the act and judgment of the court are the act and judgment of God; as…if conscience condemn us, God does so too…”

Pardon me, dear reader, if this is sounding like an Ethics class, but it is just as well, since things like these hardly get a peep-in most churches and schools these days. The point being made here is that Mrs Adebayo has raised a weighty matter and I hope, she did so, not lightly, for to trifle with her conscience and with the democratic will of a people is to pour upon herself, hot coal – and it burns! The same applies to all who are actors in this nauseating drama. The highly regarded Prof Mrs Dora Akunyili, in her office as spokesperson for the Federal Government of Nigeria addressed a press conference. She was reported as saying “there is no evidence that Adebayo was impeded from carrying out her statutory assignment as the Resident Electoral Commissioner and Returning Officer in Ekiti State.”

Her statement to the media read in part: “The supplementary governorship election in Ekiti State held on Saturday has thrown up a situation, which is viewed with utmost seriousness by government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. From the reports available to the government, the election was successfully held in nine out of the 10 local councils where the election was held. As at the evening of Sunday, April 26, 2009, the results from the election had been collated and the outcome in five local governments announced. However due to tension and fear of violence, the election did not hold in Oye Local Council. INEC then scheduled to conduct election in Oye on Monday, April 27, 2009. Before the appointed day, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti, Mrs. Olusola Adebayo, who is the returning officer for the state, reportedly took ill, a situation which led to further postponement of the election.

"To the amazement of government, a letter purported to be from the same Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Mrs. Adebayo and addressed to the President emerged today (yesterday) claiming that she is resigning her appointment in protest. All the reasons stated in the resignation letter which was purportedly written by Mrs. Adebayo and which expressed her reservations about the process are within her powers as resident electoral commissioner to address. The purported letter from all indications is intended to undermine and discredit the government, the government rejects the letter of resignation…”

I sincerely hope that this woman of integrity believes everything that she read in that statement. In other words, I hope this is a conscientious statement, not just one in the line of duty.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro, who spoke at the same press parley, threatened to declare Adebayo wanted if she does not report to INEC office or the nearest police station. Declaring her letter as “suspect”, Okiro was quoted as saying that the woman was wanted because “there is need to properly investigate the weighty allegations contained in the letter…”

Is Okiro acting in Christian conscience, if as his name suggests, he is one? Of course his statement might have prompted a reaction from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) General Secretary, Samuel Salifu, in which he warned “that anyone who touches her should expect the reaction of all Christians, because the Church is ready to defend this woman. We must be clear that we will not tolerate any intimidation."

Mr. Steve Osemeke is another person who got in the fray, hopefully with his conscience at peace. Described as newly-appointed Deputy Secretary, Publicity for INEC, he issued a statement on Wednesday which stated in part: “Contrary to the stories being peddled that no result had been announced in Ekiti State supplementary governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission hereby affirms that results were announced at the nine Local Government area collation centres in the presence of party agents, politicians and members of the public. For the avoidance of doubt, the only outstanding result is in some wards in Oye Local Government Area.”

If Adebayo announced only five results before she disappeared to reappear, who announced the other four? For, if our heart condemn us…