Moment of Truth The Nigerian Capitalist Commercial Pentecostal Pastors (NCCPP) – Pt. 1 WARNING: This piece is not for religious persons. If you are a religionist, STOP and don’t read; it’s meant for true believers in God only and not man. Let me first and foremost say that the purpose of my write-ups is to deliver a seasonal divine message. I am just a messenger that cries in the wilderness to sensitise, we, Nigerians to re-focus in order to take our rightful place in the world as God wants. I am not unaware of few Pastors who had labelled or tainted me a critic. The truth is that my voice is not to criticise and antagonise but that which cries in the wilderness for positive change before it’s too late; neither am I condemning or judging but alerting people to the little foxes that spoil the vines. God is the only judge of all. Like I always say, we cannot always agree on all points but the truth is always bitter. In the old Jewish kingdom, the Priests and the Pharisees thought they were doing the work of God fervently by observing the law to the extent that they would not heal or deliver the captives on the Sabbath. They were fervent in prayers and would stand in corners and kneel down publicly for people to see that they were praying and were men of God. They had reserved seats at the front of the synagogue for VIPs and would render special prayers for the affluent. The Sanhedrin (leader’s council) bestowed honour and respect on political leaders thereby showing partiality among the people. In all honesty, the Jewish Priests believed they were worshipping God with all their hearts and might. Nobody knew otherwise until our LORD and SAVIOUR Christ Jesus came to scold, rebuke and flush them out. HE had to pay the supreme price for correcting their perverseness hence blocking their ways of getting big donations and means of livelihood. But the message had been delivered to us loud and clear and we still bear witness of it today. Few years back when I wrote a rejoinder specifically on Pastor Akingbola, an MD of a bank and Ibru, another bank boss then, a member of the congregation and an ex associate of the man called me and begged that I should leave the man alone. I promptly pointed to him that I did not attack the man or write specifically about him. All I said was that these people were very close to their general overseers(GO) and even sat in front at the camps and enjoyed special privileges because of their voluntary donations of tens of millions whenever the general overseers called for it. Consequently the GO even attended their house fellowships in Victoria Island and Ikoyi. I actually said well done Pastor Akingbola but the end was nigh. That end came about three months later. The worrying thing here is that this practice continues. When a GO declares at the convention that he needs one billion naira from ten people and the volunteers should go and see his personal secretary, he knows for sure that: 1. There’s probability that more than ten people will volunteer 2. He had already determined how much each would donate at least, which was one hundred million naira 3. Almost uncountable people would donate various amounts outside those ten providing one billion naira. In Nigeria where the minimum wage is nineteen thousand naira and where so many people cannot afford three square meals in the dietary word, the Pastor knows that some ten people can easily afford to give him one billion naira to build a nine square kilometre hall. The worrying issues are: 1. In Nigeria only those in government positions, oil business and probably some high flier bankers and other careers (say about ten% of the population) can legitimately earn a salary of eight million naira per month. Even that totals ninety-six million naira in a whole year. Still less than what a person would donate to the GO for the building. Where will these people find the rest? Definitely the GO knows something we don’t know. Some of them are looters who come for papal blessings, simple. 2. Has the GO ever asked these ten people about their charitable work to the society they are milking? Only the GO and they can answer that. But we know that charity is a foreign word in Nigeria and the scriptures say charity is LOVE. 3. Why can’t the GO ask for billions from these people to build industries and companies at least to employ the teaming population of jobless members of his church? Oh if that is done, it may reduce the number of people coming for miracles and deliverance. By asking the highest bidders to see the Pastor’s personal secretary and giving monetary bills of exchange, in millions of naira, amounts to traders in the temple; as those people will obviously receive special prayers. Our Lord Jesus entered the temple and saw the money changers, HE not only sent them away, the scripture recorded for the first and last time that Jesus was angry and made whips and flogged them. My fb family and friends; it is well with you this week and year and God will lift you up in Jesus Name. Read the second part next week, God’s willing.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 03:23:24 +0000