Distortion of the gospel of Jesus in Nigeria

[FILE] Holy Bible

Frazzled by means of the vigour politics, financial dishonesty and lechery that pervade lots of the one man owned Pentecostal church buildings I disengaged from my final church. I actually have on account that not been a member of any church; I discuss with any church of my alternative every Sunday. This has taken me to each the older and orthodox, and nouveau and classy (always one man owned) Pentecostal churches. at the invitation of a girl buddy, on this particular Sunday, I visited the Christ Dominion Church at Oregun street, Ikeja Lagos. i used to be impressed by the array of worshippers resplendently attired in their Sunday-bests, and the choir's rousing and inspiring symphony. To the deafening silence of the sanctuary and the rapt consideration of the congregants, the pastor preached. As commonplace in most one man owned Pentecostal church buildings, the preaching became not on the tenets of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, however on prosperity. In complete dismiss for the bibli cal pre-situations for the wealth and cloth health of a believer, the preacher dwelt on wealth and its accoutrements: mansions, luxury vehicles, jet-planes, and so on. He limned the elegance and glamour of wealth, and gushed on the benefits and importance of being prosperous. He elaborately illustrated the evils, deprivation and gloom of poverty. He stated that Jesus grew to become terrible so that we may also be rich.

Believers should therefore dread poverty and strive to be prosperous. according to him, the secret of prosperity is in giving – your funds – to God, of route, in the course of the pastors. The extra you provide to God, the more you prosper. God blessed Abraham really as a result of he changed into able to supply all he had, his simplest son, Isaac, to God. So, if you supply God all you have, your benefits and prosperity might be ineffable, just like these of Abraham. for example, he pointed out an American pastor that is indescribably filthy rich to the aspect of buying jet-planes and sowing them as seeds in distinct churches. he is so filthy rich, and maintains getting wealthier and wealthier as a result of he continues giving and giving to God.

however probably the most routinely quoted verse on tithing within the Bible, Malachi three:10 to 12, chiefly mentioned, "carry ye all of the tithes into the storehouse, …and show me now herewith …if i can't open you the home windows of heaven, and pour you out blessing, that there shall not be room satisfactory to acquire it; and i will rebuke the devourer on your sakes" and "all nations shall call you blessed…"; the preacher referred to that paying your tithe doesn't convey you God benefits. It only rebukes the devourer for you. it is after paying your tithes and choices that you just start the giving so that it will convey concerning the financial blessings of God. besides the fact that children his preaching became diametrically contradictory to the teachings of the Bible, it still impressed his listeners to the point of periodically applauding him.  He mentioned that the smirch of poverty is indelible that, even after dying, and the bad believer goes to heaven, there'll still be the lingering facts of his earthly poverty on him. He made reference to the Bible story in Luke Chapter 16 of a rich man that "fared sumptuously prevalent", and the beggar, Lazarus that "laid at his (the wealthy man's) gate, full of sores". After dying, Lazarus went to heaven and was in the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man became consigned to hellfire. From hell, the wealthy man cried out to Abraham, and requested him to ship Lazarus "that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and funky my tongue; for i'm tormented during this flame". The preacher said that despite his being in heaven, Lazarus previous earthly poverty was nevertheless evident on him. And that changed into why the prosperous man in hell, could not ask Abraham, who turned into wealthy on the planet, however Lazarus, to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. by using then, I even have heard enough of this deliberate, unabashed convolution of the Bible aimed at goa ding the gullible and timid into emptying their pockets into the offering containers, as choices, tithes, first fruits and seeds. It became time for me to head. I picked up my Bible and walked out of the church. just before the gate, an usher accosted me, "Oga, why are you leaving so early". I spoke back, "sure, I should go away because your pastor is mendacity. he's talking nonsense". He screamed, "Wow! How can you say that a person of God is lying, speaking nonsense? It is incorrect.

You can not say that. Thou shall now not choose". To which I retorted: however you just judged me by means of saying that my observation is incorrect. Prosperity Doctrine is falsehood. It distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ by dismissing the primary subject matters of Christianity and dwelling on sowing seed and getting prosperous. the thing of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ changed into now not to make us prosperous however to reconcile us unto God, and seriously change us into living a Christ-like existence. The wealth of a Christian is contingent on being a real Christian, as stated in Matthew 6:33, "searching for you first the dominion of God, and his righteousness" – which is the object of Christianity – "and all these items will likely be introduced unto you". So, in accordance with the Bible, wealth doesn't come from sowing seeds, but with the aid of in the hunt for the kingdom of God and all his righteousness. to disregard the motifs of Christianity, eq uivalent to salvation, love for our neighbour, religion in God and being Christ-like and simply talk prosperity is tendentious mendacity.

The goal of this purposeful falsehood is to line the pastors' pockets, build their financial empires and retain their awe-inspiring lifestyles trend. It makes it possible for them to dwell in incredible mansions, constantly spruce-up their lavish wardrobes, hold their fleet of luxury cars, buy inner most jets and indulge their other fancies – all – on the monetary strangulation of their congregants. identical to the political elite, the religious elite are a tremendous supply of the problems for the Nigerian society. each elite agencies are smitten by vigor and money. They each fortify their powers and bolster their own bank money owed by way of the intimidation and exploitation of the americans. The handiest change is in their strategies: the political elite through their perversion of the political manner, and the spiritual elite via their perversion of the observe of God. That Nigeria, the domestic to the most excellent concentration of the extraordinarily poor on the pla net, is also the domestic of the wealthiest pastors on the earth is a powerful testament to how efficiently the pastors are swindling the masses with their distortion of the note of God.

Ezukanma wrote from Lagos, Nigeria.