WAS MICHAEL JACKSON SAVED?

In all of these, however, I have been more concerned for the soul of this wonderful performer. Is Michael Jackson in heaven or hell? We may not know for sure, unfortunately. He was born and raised, at least by their mum, a Jehovah’s Witness, but there were rumours that he converted, like Jermaine, one of his brothers, to Islam last year, and took the name Mikhaeel. Whether that is true or not, reports about his meeting with two Pentecostal pastors, Andraé and Sandra Crouch three weeks before he died give room for hope. Although they have denied that he specifically asked to be led to say the sinner’s prayer, as earlier suggested by Mary Mary on her Facebook page, the following quote from Dave Nassaney, Andraé Crouch's Facebook page administrator, points in the direction of salvation for the one who sought to heal the world with his music and philanthropy.

What a week that was – the last full week of June 2009. It had everything: pace, drama, passion and the very stuff of history – change. Consider the line-up: Farah Fawcett fell to the terror attack of anal cancer; the Anglican Church of North America formally came into being, pulling 100,000 conservative Anglicans out of the liberal Episcopal Church; President Umaru Yar’Adua proclaimed Amnesty to all Niger Delta militants, and Michael Jackson died.

You can be forgiven for yawning at some of the items, possibly all but the last, after all the media generally speaking, simply buried every other item the moment the demise of “Wacko Jacko” happened! KPerspective isn’t about to be different. But before we join the frenzy, let’s at least give each of these items, its brief moment in the sun.

On Monday June 22, conservative former members of the Episcopal Church, TEC, gathered at St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford, Texas, US for the first provincial assembly of the newly established Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). By Wednesday June 24, they had ratified their constitution and elected an archbishop in the person of Robert Duncan, who had been in the vanguard of the struggle against the liberal policies of TEC, including ordination of gay priests and recognition of intra-gender marriages.

ACNA, which as at April 2009, had 100,000 members from about 700 parishes in North America and Canada was formed by member bodies of the Common Cause Partnership such as: American Anglican Council, Anglican Coalition in Canada, Anglican Communion Network, Anglican Mission in the Americas, Anglican Network in Canada, Convocation of Anglicans in North America, Forward in Faith North America and Reformed Episcopal Church. Others are the Missionary Convocations of Kenya, the Southern Cone and of Uganda which were established to provide provincial oversight for disenchanted former Episcopalians.

While ACNA is not yet a member of the Anglican Communion because that requires a long process, both the Church of Nigeria and the Church of Uganda, with combined membership of about 26 million, are in full communion with the new province. This translates easily to recognition from about a third of the Communion.. This is a significant development that has potential for shaping not just for the future of the 77million-member Communion, but ultimately the Church in general. We shall return to this issue at a later date.

As ACNA was being dedicated on Wednesday, actress Farah Fawcett was taking her exit from this side of the great divide. Felled by anal cancer, a disease she had famously described as a terrorist, she was 62. Fawcett rose to fame on the wave of her blonde hair, when a Hollywood talent agent spotted her among "10 most beautiful co-eds" in a student magazine at the University of Texas in Austin, where she was a student.

She subsequently moved to Los Angeles, began a modelling career and eventually posed for a poster in 1975 which was to catapult her into international stardom becoming something of the ultimate poster blonde. The poster, which sold over eight million copies, was Farah’s doorway to acting fame. Ace television producer Aaron Spelling, was so fascinated by her persona that he cast her as one of the crime-fighting babes of in the famous television series, Charlie's Angels in which she starred as Jill Munroe.

Charlie’s Angels, to refresh your memory was that television series featuring three belles working for a private investigation agency to unravel all kinds of crime. It was a trail-blazer in the sense that women were acting that kind of role for the first time. It ran in the United States on the network of ABC Television from 1976 to 1981 before it made its way to Nigeria in the mid-80s. One of the unforgettable features of the series was that you never got to see the face of Charles Townsend or Charlie, their boss. The best glimpse of him you ever caught were scenes where the back of his head and his arms are visible, surrounded by pretty women, assigning cases to the Angels through a speaker phone.

Farah was nominated for two Emmys and five Golden Globes, winning critical acclaim for her characterization of an abused wife in The Burning Bed. The story of her battle with cancer was widely aired in May through a two-hour documentary, Farrah's Story. In it, not even the pain she went through as the cancer progressed from her anus to her liver could rob her of her humour. As the doctors shaved off the last bit of the blonde locks that brought her to fame, she was quoted as telling the doctors, "You wouldn't stop until you got my hair." In the words of her publicist, “Farrah has passed to a better place and left the pain and confines of her bed behind…She is free to be the woman we all knew and loved; so few have touched so many."

Thursday of course was Amnesty proclamation day in Abuja, Nigeria. President Yar’Adua evinced the proclamation and signing ceremony with the solemnity of a historic event. Militants who laid down their arms within 60 days were to go home unmolested while he handed those being tried a get-out-of-jail-free card. It was all like Jesus telling the woman caught in adultery in chapter 8 of the Bible book of John: “go, and sin no more.” And I remember my Shakespeare: isn’t it the “naked truth” that, like King Lear, the people represented by these militants, (as distinct from the criminal elements), are “more sinned against than sinning?” The Amnesty, preceded as it was by the now suspended military operation of the Joint Task Force, with its clearly disproportionate collateral damage, has all the trappings of pacification. Will it work? God have mercy.

Thanks to the sense of balance of the Nigerian media, this subject is still on the front burner, at least one side of it. The announcement later that Thursday night of the death by cardiac arrest of pop music king, Michael Jackson, has since overthrown everything else. And like I said earlier not even this column can ignore such a momentous event as the passing of this iconic character.

So much has been said and written about his life, music, dance, lyrics, fashion, marriages, cosmetic surgery, his philanthropy and much more. The Guinness Book of Record proportion of the sales of his works including “Thrilla” has been chronicled. So has the eleven-tickets-per-second sale of his now aborted farewell concerts at London’s O2 Arena. The circumstances of his death are still been investigated and there are no shortages of hypothesis.

In all of these, however, I have been more concerned for the soul of this wonderful performer. Is Michael Jackson in heaven or hell? We may not know for sure, unfortunately. He was born and raised, at least by their mum, a Jehovah’s Witness, but there were rumours that he converted, like Jermaine, one of his brothers, to Islam last year, and took the name Mikhaeel. Whether that is true or not, reports about his meeting with two Pentecostal pastors, Andraé and Sandra Crouch three weeks before he died give room for hope. Although they have denied that he specifically asked to be led to say the sinner’s prayer, as earlier suggested by Mary Mary on her Facebook page, the following quote from Dave Nassaney, Andraé Crouch's Facebook page administrator, points in the direction of salvation for the one who sought to heal the world with his music and philanthropy.

He wrote: “He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself' and what gives ‘spirituality' to music. He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves, and wanted [them] to sing to him, so they sang that song to him, and joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘It was beautiful.'. Crouch told me Jackson ‘definitely had an encounter' during the visit…He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when they prayed, and gladly joined in prayer. Crouch said, ‘He usually doesn't touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed. There was NO actual ‘sinner’s prayer,' however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit…” Would that this is true.
PIXES: Michael Jackson...As I like to remember him and
Farrah Fawcett...Charlie's Angel in the poster that brought her fame

NOT YET IN MARVEL AKPOYIBO’S IMAGE

In spite of these however, Akpoyibo has a major question to answer. Police extortion of motorists has been on the rise. Ask any bus driver or conductor. Interview any commercial motor cycle operator. They’ll tell you how brazen, how in your face this practice is. For instance, between Ikeja and Ogba bus terminals, there are up to five such “toll” collection points every night in the last several months. Of these, three are between ABC bus stop on Adeniyi Jones Avenue and CMB, a mere three stops apart, with each team of uniformed men (with at least one armed) openly collecting “dues” from bus and motorcycle operators

It was an unusual sight… a senior police officer flat on his belly, microphone in hand, “confessing” to having been a patron of the occult. For many his presence in church, a Pentecostal church, was akin to meeting a virgin in a maternity ward – an impossibility sang about some decades back by Nigeria’s own country and western music star, Bongos Ikwue.

But it happened. There he was at the sanctuary of the headquarters church of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM in Lagos. The occasion was the 6th edition of Breeding Leadership and National Transformation (BLENT) organized by the church. Dressed in civvies, Marvel Akpoyibo, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State told an audience which included the church’s Founding/Presiding Bishop and chief host, Dr Mike Okonkwo about his sojourn in the occult in his search for “supernatural power” to enable him excel as a policeman.

He recalled how as a young officer, he was persuaded to seek spiritual protection from occultic sources so that he might survive in the Nigeria Police. But he soon discovered the futility of relying on charms for protection, declaring that he never really felt secured until he accepted God into his life. He then called on those who might still be looking for protection and guidance from other beings besides God, to retrace their steps.

Testifying further to the place of his faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ in his assignment in Lagos State, Akpoyibo was quoted as saying God had been of tremendously help to him in policing the economic capital of Nigeria. His words as reported by one of the newspapers: “When I was made the CP of Lagos, after I signed a hand over note, I told God I will not deliver the note until he signed his own column. I want you to help me police Lagos State. Before then, we were losing 10 policemen everyday, and 20 to 25 cars were being snatched everyday. But I handed over Lagos State to the almighty God and since then crime has reduced.”

Akpoyibo went on to solicit the prayers of Nigerians for the Nigeria Police, while urging youths and those indulged in crime to turn their minds to God. He counselled: “there is no virtue in criminal activities and those who engage in it will never end well…read the Bible and learn new things everyday. It will change your life for the better and take you away from sins.”

Akpoyibo left the church that Sunday, happy that he had opened up in order to encourage others to change their ways, expressing great joy that a large crowd of people went out to give their lives to Christ after his testimony. Not everybody applauded him, however. While some accused him of playing to the gallery. Others felt he was labelling his colleagues as cultists. Yet others dismissed him as superstitious and therefore unfit for his office.

So vociferous was the criticism in some circles that the State Police Command had to issue a statement clarifying issues. Spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, explained that his boss’ comments “were not meant to cast aspersion on any group or individual and should not be misconstrued…it was meant to admonish the youth on the futility of seeking power in whatever form from occultic forces.”

Mba wrote: ”I want Nigerians to know that the CP never made the comment to elicit negative reactions; he was in fact, making himself an example of what Godliness means in everybody‘s life…Particularly, he wanted police officers to know that the only source of guidance and protection they could have is from God and not any evil forces. We are all aware that policing a state like Lagos is not a tea party, hence the commissioner thinks that if the youth become more God-fearing, they will shun crime and the state will be the better for it…”

All of that was September last year. Since then I have watched the policing scene in Lagos with heightened interest. Has the fact of having a “born again” Christian as police commissioner changed anything? Has crime rate dropped since his public confession that he sought the assistance of God to police Lagos? Has there been any dramatic, not to say, miraculous unravelling of any crime since then?

Although, I do not have statistics to support this, I believe that the crime rate has indeed dropped. It is true that factors such as increased funding through the security trust fund, which translates to better equipping; the reduction of the pool of miscreants through creative employment policy of the state government, and the God-fearing leadership of Governor Babatunde Fashola have all combine to make this possible. But it is true, isn’t it that, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (Psalm 127: 1)?

Two incidents serve to reinforce my belief that Akpoyibo and his team have indeed had the divine hands of God working with them. You probably heard about the story of the boy who was kidnapped at his parent’s church at Magodo on the outskirts of the metropolis. The boy was found, if my memory serves right, within 24 hours. What struck me about this was the commissioner’s testimony on television that when the boy’s father came to his office, among the first things they did was pray together! To someone else that was wasting valuable crime-bursting time. To the commissioner that was obviously touching base with his senior partner! The second incident was the Niger Delta-like abduction of some foreign nationals in the creeks of Lagos Island. The speed with which the crime was detected and the victims freed was uncharacteristic of the Nigeria Police.

In spite of these however, Akpoyibo has a major question to answer. Police extortion of motorists has been on the rise. Ask any bus driver or conductor. Interview any commercial motor cycle operator. They’ll tell you how brazen, how in your face this practice is. For instance, between Ikeja and Ogba bus terminals, there are up to five such “toll” collection points every night in the last several months. Of these, three are between ABC bus stop on Adeniyi Jones Avenue and CMB, a mere three stops apart, with each team of uniformed men (with at least one armed) openly collecting “dues” from bus and motorcycle operators. These, for the avoidance of any doubts, are not “stop and search” operations or any other kind of crime prevention efforts. They are undisguised, devil-may-care N20-N50 extorting exercises.

Now, street wisdom has always had it that these guys are not acting alone; that they report to their various bosses, who give returns to their own bosses, right up to the highest level. State commissioners are rumoured to be somewhere in this chain. Is this still true? Does it happen in Lagos under a born-again, spirit-filled police commissioner? Or is it beyond a commissioner to tackle? The characteristics of a kingdom is said to derive from the character of the king. Something is terribly out of sync between the perceived image of Commissioner Akpoyibo and the street image of the police he leads in Lagos State. Will it still be so this time next year? We wait and watch.

PIX: Mr Marvel Akpoyiboh, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State...Wanted, A Police Command in his image


FROM MY INBOX

RE: THE RISE AND RISE OF CARNALITY
This is a perfect reportage of a powerful message by an inspired child of God. It is a timely warning to all in position of leadership in the body of Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit will further minister on this to our hearts. Rev. Bayo's main theme is actually on "Holiness and Christian compromise". Christians are gradually blending with the world, adopting worldly tactics even for evangelism. This has resulted in the breeding of a generation of shallow, superficial believers, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

Church and ministries leaders in Nigeria, especially the pentecostals, should come together and agree on certain biblical standards of holiness in worship, which are not to be compromised in our worship of God. Jesus Christ is coming soon, we must not be caught napping. God bless you, Sir.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted" - Anon

Akintunde Makinde,
Apapa, Lagos

THE RISE AND RISE OF CANALITY

His antidote to this is “worship in the Spirit”. That is, worshipping in other tongues, which is currently not in vogue, even in pentecostal and charismatic churches. Referring to the following words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24), Rev B said our humility must lead us to depend on the Holy Spirit even in our worship. Otherwise, it is not true humility and our worship would, more often than not, be unacceptable to God, since it is likely to be tainted by the flesh. Praise and Worship led of the flesh is unacceptable to God. It’s like Cain’s offering.

Carnality is on the rise among us Christians and many of the churches are helping its growth. In fact, many churches are today more carnal than spiritual. That about sums up the wake-up call issued last Tuesday by one of my pastors. Though, it was a revisit of what had become, for him, the most critical issue in the church today which, I had occasion to report last year, still, I feel an urgent need to share it again.

“Him” here refers to Rev Bayo Oniwinde, one of God’s gifts to the Body in the area of teaching the undiluted word of God. A man of faith who moves in the utterance gifts, he traces the genesis of his ministry to the year 1977 when he clearly heard the Lord say to him, “Feed My Sheep". He subsequently went into full time ministry in 1986 joining the Voice of Faith Ministries which is more popularly known as Christ Chapel International Churches in Lagos Nigeria, founded and led by Word of Faith icon, Rev Dr Tunde Joda.

Bishop, as he is fondly called is therefore a product of the “Coach” Tunde Joda school of ministry, under whose tutelage, he served for about fifteen years, learning and functioning in such diverse areas of church and ministry as pastoral, administrative, church planting, and marriage counselling. He was also involved in Bible School coordination and lecturing as well as conference planning. He is still on the teaching staff of the church’s Patmos Bible School of Faith.

Author of three books, "It is Written", " Believers, Your Case in Life is Different" and "What You Say Will Make Your Day", he currently runs Bayo Oniwinde Ministries, an independent international ministry which has seen him minister at seminars and conferences in places as far-flung as India, Britain, the United States, Estonia, Norway, and Sweden.

Ministering at CCIC, Ikeja Centre, his home church, Rev Bayo told the congregation that the level of carnality appears to be growing by the day, aided and abetted by what might be called the seeker-friendly disposition of many church leaders. This itself is the result of the drive for increased membership, which has led many churches to adopt ministry styles that are trendy and deliberately designed to pander to the preferences of the potential congregant.

But let’s put things in context. The theme for the month of June is Humility and the centre pastor, Rev Ajibola Oluyede had set the tone by defining humility as total, child-like dependence on God, rather than some external self-deprecation. He had explained that unless properly understood, it is possible for pride to manifest as false humility. The kind of humility God expects of His people is the kind that does not say I can’t; it’s the kind that says I can, because I am not the one who is going to do it; it’s my God. In other words, it’s humility borne out of total submission.

Ten days or so into the month-long programme, Rev B, who had been away, began to speak about humility in much the same terms, homing in on total dependence on the Holy Spirit in everything - to the exclusion of all else. He began, as he was wont to, with praise and worship in the Church. In his opinion, too much flesh has been brought into this very important part of the church’s fellowship. Referring to the showmanship, stylistics and histrionics that have become the hallmark of music ministry in many of our churches, he dismissed them as Christian entertainment rather than worship.

His antidote to this is “worship in the Spirit”. That is, worshipping in other tongues, which is currently not in vogue, even in pentecostal and charismatic churches. Referring to the following words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24), Rev B said our humility must lead us to depend on the Holy Spirit even in our worship. Otherwise, it is not true humility and our worship would, more often than not, be unacceptable to God, since it is likely to be tainted by the flesh. Praise and Worship led of the flesh is unacceptable to God. It’s like Cain’s offering

What applies to the music ministry applies to all other areas of activities of the church. He said of ministry of the word: “It is not phonetics or eloquence; it is about the Holy Ghost and the plan of God”. In his view, what is happening in the churches today is simply following the vogue. It is about ‘this is the way they are doing it’. So people just copy what they see others doing that looks successful, irrespective of whether it is God’s plan for their own ministry or not. And since, the way they are doing it is not of God, He plays the observer rather than lead participant. This has to change.

Touching other salient points, Rev B said church leaders quarrelling with one another and refusing to make up; some refusing to apologise to their brothers, even when the Holy Spirit is leading them to, are not doing God’s will. He’s not going to stand for that in the new dispensation. There are those who think they can go it alone and are therefore unwilling to associate with others. God’s position on unity is clear; the Church is one body, indivisible and interdependent.
Speaking on the carnal pursuit of wealth in the church, Rev B recalled that he had been at ministers’ conference where a lot of time was spent on the marketing of stocks and shares. At one such conference, the sales pitch for a particular company’s stocks was that the G.O had bought. Well there’s nothing wrong with buying shares, but it does reflect the state of the church if such a thing takes considerable time at a ministers’ conference. Wealth belongs to the church, children of God are expected to be financially buoyant, but if it’s of God, it will come by the supernatural. Citing example of the early church, he said they lacked nothing. The Holy Spirit was in charge and nobody needed to be cajoled to bring resources into the kingdom. People did it voluntarily laying it at the apostle’s feet. The couple which attempted to fool the Holy Ghost, Ananias and Sapphira never lived to tell the story (see Acts 5). The power to make wealth comes from God. And if we will humble ourselves and listen for the voice of God, we will prosper.

God’s vessel has to be holy, submitted to him and willing to carry the anointing with humility and use it with responsibility, he said. When some ministers get big, they become complacent. Much time is spent in carnally putting up programmes and projects; while so little time is spent on the pursuit of spiritual direction and the power that comes with it. If we put the Holy Spirit in the driving seat, the world would see a church that is united and powerful. Even the intellectual bows to the supernatural. When people see the power of God at work, even the most “religious” of them will come running.

Concluding on an almost apocalyptic note, Rev B reminded us that Jesus Has made it clear that He would come back for “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27) and He’s not going to allow anything or anyone get in the way of his plans. He said, although God really doesn’t want to bring judgement upon the people, it doesn’t seem like we are giving Him a choice. Unless we change, it will happen and it will begin at the top, with those who are supposed to know. The point is that God is going to bring revival into His church. And if that requires that some current leaders be removed, He’ll do it and replace them with those who will follow his set pattern.

The Holy Ghost, not our intellect and the wisdom of the world, must be allowed to stay in the leadership of the church.

PIX: Rev BAYO ONIWINDE... A burden for revival in the Church

BARRISTER JITI OGUNYE’S DILEMMA

“It is this. An election holds. It is roundly adjudged to be far from being free, fair and credible. Therefore, those declared winners and who subsequently assume office could not have been said to be freely chosen leaders of the people. But no sooner have they resumed office illegitimately, than prayers for their success begin to ring out from pulpits across the land, presumably including his own church. Mr Ogunye traces this to the English tradition of praying for the King or the Queen, as is currently the case. He didn’t see why he should be called upon to pray for vote riggers and usurpers. And I won’t be surprised if on each such occasion, he chose to excuse himself.”

You probably have heard him speak. He is a lawyer and public affairs commentator who serves as a regular resource person on news and current affair programmes on a couple of television stations. Last Sunday, he was on Galaxy Television’s “Democracy Today” programme where, as usual, he spoke passionately about the ills of our dear nation. As the show was drawing to a close, he opened up on what I consider one of the deepest dilemmas of the politically conscious Christian. Jiti Ogunye is his name and as he said on the programme, he is a Christian, a member of the Anglican Church and a communicant. A communicant, for the benefit of the uninitiated, is someone qualified to and who receives the Holy Communion regularly. It also signifies his commitment to his faith in Christ Jesus. But there is something that bothers him.

It is this. An election holds. It is roundly adjudged to be far from being free, fair and credible. Therefore, those declared winners and who subsequently assume office could not have been said to be freely chosen leaders of the people. But no sooner have they resumed office illegitimately, than prayers for their success begin to ring out from pulpits across the land, presumably including his own church. Mr Ogunye traces this to the English tradition of praying for the King or the Queen, as is currently the case. He didn’t see why he should be called upon to pray for vote riggers and usurpers. And I won’t be surprised if on each such occasion, he chose to excuse himself.

I truly feel his pain. I share his dilemma. As readers of this column might remember, I had a thing or two to say about the place of God in the aftermath of the elections of 2007. When Vice President Goodluck Jonathan said their election was the Lord’s doing, I challenged him. In a piece titled, “The Lord’s Doing? No Sir!” (April 29, 2007), I concluded on this note: “Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice President-elect says their election is the Lord’s doing and I say no, it’s the doing of one man and his courtiers and that man is Obasanjo. How do I know? God is a God of justice and equity; He is also a God of due process. So committed to due process is our God that, he did not snatch control of the world from satan unilaterally when Adam foolishly handed it over to the serpent. Jesus had to come as the second Adam to pay the price for Adam’s rebellion and thus become qualified to retrieve what the first Adam lost. That is due process. Were God to want to install Yar’Adua and Jonathan, he would not use a flawed, fraud-filled and violent process. God is therefore not in this charade and because he is not in it, it cannot stand….”

When Professor Iwu described his INEC’s ability to commission, print and receive ballot papers for the Presidential election within 48 hours as a miracle and an evidence that God loves this country, I reacted this way: “Thank God that we are in this wonderful dispensation of grace! … Iwu allowed himself to be drawn away by his own pathological desire to do his master’s bidding in the exclusion of candidate Atiku Abubakar; attempted to play God by foreclosing the man’s participation in the presidential race and when a just, due-process committed God upturned their plan, he turns round to pat himself on the back for expensively half-solving the problem! And horror of horrors, he brings the name of God into it! Now how close to sacrilege can you get!” [On the Wings of Sacrilege (May 20, 2007)].

In that same piece, I recalled the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo as saying to an audience of congratulators: “although sceptics had doubted the conduct of the 2007 elections, it has come and gone and to a majority of Nigerians and God the results are acceptable.” In reaction, I wrote: “…It is clear even to the blind that majority of Nigerians do not find the elections acceptable. As for God finding the result of fraud and brazen manipulation acceptable, all I can say is “which god?” Certainly not the God that many of us know and worship. He is too holy, too just, to be a part of the massive rigging of April 2007. Surely as a Sunday school teacher, the president would certainly know that one of the most basic things taught children in churches is “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). One Bible scholar explains that this commandment is not only against false swearing, but also against ‘all profane, trivial, and irreverent uses of God's name.’ Can anything be more profane and irreverent than these? Lord have mercy.”

From the foregoing, I am sure you’ll agree that Barrister Jiti and I are virtually on the same page in these matters. But let’s take a close look at the issue. The first point to make is that the practice of praying for leaders is not peculiar to the Anglican Church; it is therefore not a British export. It is a biblical injunction that can be found in chapter two of the First Epistle of Paul to Titus, verses one and two thus: “I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving thanks be made for all men, For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” This passage does not say pray for those who deserve to be in authority or those who got to office legitimately. It did not discriminate! So, in praying for “kings and for all that are in authority,” we are simply being called to obey the injunctions of God who spoke through the mouth of one of His apostles.

Mr Ogunye also found unacceptable the usual rationale given by the church for urging acceptance of usurpers and going the extra mile of praying for them, namely that all powers belong to God and He gives it to whomsoever He wills. Again, I am with the learned barrister. It’s just that that is what the Bible says! And we either accept the Bible as the word of God, which cannot be broken or reject it in its entirety.

Psalm 62:11 says, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” In the Book of Proverbs, God declared, “By me kings reign…” Since only the one who has it can give it, then we must accept this as the gospel truth. But does that mean God supports injustice and inequity? Does it suggest that God Had a hand in, for instance, the charade of April 2007 or the most recent devil-may-care, in your face imposition of Mr Segun Oni upon the Ekiti people? I am absolutely certain the answer is NO!

So where does that leave us? If He does not approve of the method, why should He ask us to pray to sustain them in office? I do not claim to know the answers, but the following passages of Scripture reassure me of God’s unchanging attributes.

First and foremost that His ways are beyond my complete understanding: " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9). Next, I know He is faithful and just: “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4). And lastly that He always has our best interest in mind: “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome (Jeremiah 29:11 AMP).

My final take on this is this. Evil may seem to be on the rise in our land, but I assure you, for as long as we pray without ceasing and work the works of the One who has sent us diligently, doubting nothing, compromising nothing, evil will burn itself out. Its greatest capability is not in replication, although it does replicate for a season, its ultimate attribute is self-destruction - in due season. What we do by praying for them is to secure peace in the land even as we pour hot coal upon their heads.

Peace, my dear brother.

PIX: Mr Jiti Ogunye...Why pray for election riggers?

“Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy also has this eye-opening passage: ‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life’ (1Timothy 6:17-19). This is true prosperity theology and, the truth is, it is more widely taught than the campaigners against it would like to believe. And its influence is more purifying than corrupting.”

The point has been made that financial and material prosperity is an integral part of the blessing that God spoke into the lives of his first son, Adam and his helpmate, Eve. It has been seen from scripture that God provided for them to live in splendour. He did not intend for them to merely get by! Otherwise, why put the gold and other precious stones in Havillah?

We also saw that even when God decided it was time to begin again with Noah and his family and the Flood wiped out mankind, He restored the Blessing in exactly the same words – be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth etc. The only difference being that he then instituted, as it were, a kind of methodology when He declared: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). This has great significance for mankind, but we won’t go into that today. It should suffice to say that, by that statement God introduced the seed principle as God’s method of blessing His children; the only one for a season! (For more on this, you’ll have to await my forthcoming book).

As we also saw, together, God said what he meant, meant what He said and caused what He said to manifest in the lives of His children thus firmly establishing the seed principle. From Abraham through Isaac and Jacob to all their descendants, financial and material prosperity was part of the bargain.

Did this change in New Testament times? No, not in the least. The Lord Jesus taught so much about the uses of money that it was clear that its availability was a given! And we shall come back to that later. But we chose to address the often touted poor socio-economic status of the Lord Jesus himself. As we pointed out Jesus’ so-called poverty was mitigated by access. All his needs were met every second of time and every inch of the way throughout His earthly ministry. We also noted that the Bible also described his relative poverty as an act of grace, meant to ensure that we live in prosperity. That of course is in addition to the fact that the Lord Himself said ALL that the father Has are His.

Flowing from all of these is one truth; it is God’s will for His children to live life abundantly here on earth as a prelude to the abundance of heaven. As someone graphically put it, we are expected to experience the days of heaven on earth. Therefore any theology that minimises this truth does injustice, even violence, to the gospel. And that exactly was the situation until the advent of those ministers who have been branded prosperity preachers. That was the era of the church rat; when godliness tended to be measured by the holes in your shoes and the patches on your trousers. Those were the days when poverty was the badge of holiness.

Now what is this prosperity theology that is being resisted in some circles?

As I mentioned earlier, God not only wants His children blessed, He established the seed principle as an avenue for them to tap into the blessing that he has for them. That is the full import of Genesis 8:22. That is simple enough for anyone who has ever been near even a backyard garden to understand. It is the principle by which God intended for everything to multiply, including the “seed of the woman.”

It is this principle that forms the core of the prosperity message. And it’s the application of this principle in a non-agricultural setting that would seem to have become contentious, particularly as it applies to the church. But need it be? The Bible teaches: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38). This, while applicable to giving to the poor certainly also applies to the Church and its workers. So strong is the injunction to give to the House of God that the Bible described failure to give into the Church as robbery a kind of robbery. Although, it’s been said that the robbery here is robbing God of opportunities to bless, the promise attached to giving are quite clear as this passage from the book of Malachi indicate: “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts (Malachi 3:9-12).
So, sowing into the work of God, into the life of His servants and into the lives of those in need though tithes and offering, is the main teaching of the church in the prosperity area. Your work, be it in the church or in some secular professional pursuit is in this sense a seed. That is the message you are likely to hear at the church next door and it is the truth as contained in the Bible.
Of course, there are other principles, one of which is wealth by the supernatural or the inheritance principle, but they are not widely taught. The inheritance principle is deep. And it is for those who have caught the revelation and are able to tap into their inheritance in God by Christ Jesus. It takes a coming of age to draw from this source. This is the perfect will of God for His children. Unfortunately, most of us are still in the process of coming of age. That is matter for another time. It suffices here just to say that if God indeed owns the cattle on a thousand hills, own the gold and the silver, as the Bible says in Psalm 50:10 and Haggai 2:8 respectively, why should his children shun this part of the heirloom? But as I said earlier this isn’t even being widely taught yet. But it will, and then the world would see the extent to which God had always wanted to bless his children!
In fact, I personally sense that the new resurgence of anti-prosperity theology is an agenda of the enemy. Money is required, tonnes and tonnes of it, to evangelise the world; to counter the rise of the doctrine of demons in many parts of the world. It is wealth in the hands of God’s children that can be used for this purpose, not those available to non-believers. That’s why God wants us rich, very rich. So, we must be careful not to allow a return to the church rat era through wrong though well-meaning teachings.

But is prosperity teaching therefore danger-free? Can it be abused? Of course, it can and it definitely is being abused in certain circles. And the Bible certainly does warn against this – copiously too!

The required balance can be gleaned from a number biblical passages. The book of Deuteronomy for instance quoted God as warning in these words: “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 8:18-20). That’s validation for wealth and its source. It points to the danger of mishandling it, as well.

Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy also has this eye-opening passage: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1Timothy 6:17-19).

This is true prosperity theology and the truth is, it is more widely taught than the campaigners against it would like to believe. And its influence is more purifying than corrupting. (Concluded)

PIX: Benny Hinn...Recently hosted a Debt Cancellation Prayer Day

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.