By Tochukwu Ezukanma<\/p>\n
Frazzled by the power politics, financial dishonesty and lechery that
\npervade many of the one man owned Pentecostal churches I disengaged from
\nmy last church. I have since not been a member of any church; I visit
\nany church of my choice every Sunday. This has taken me to both the
\nolder and orthodox, and nouveau and trendy (usually one man owned)
\nPentecostal churches. At the invitation of a lady friend, on this
\nparticular Sunday, I visited the Christ Dominion Church at Oregun Road,
\nIkeja Lagos. I was impressed by the array of worshippers resplendently
\nattired in their Sunday-bests, and the choir\u2019s rousing and inspiring
\nsymphony.
\nTo the deafening silence of the sanctuary and the rapt attention of the
\ncongregants, the pastor preached. As usual in most one man owned
\nPentecostal churches, the preaching was not on the tenets of the Gospel
\nof Jesus Christ, but on prosperity. In total disregard for the biblical
\npre-conditions for the wealth and material well being of a believer, the
\npreacher dwelt on wealth and its accoutrements: mansions, luxury cars,
\njet-planes, etc. He limned the splendor and glamour of wealth, and
\ngushed on the benefits and importance of being wealthy. He elaborately
\nillustrated the evils, deprivation and gloom of poverty. He said that
\nJesus became poor so that we can be rich. Believers must therefore dread
\npoverty and strive to be rich.
\nAccording to him, the secret of prosperity is in giving \u2013 your money –
\nto God, of course, through the pastors. The more you give to God, the
\nmore you prosper. God blessed Abraham exceedingly because he was ready
\nto give all he had, his only son, Isaac, to God. So, if you give God all
\nyou have, your blessings and prosperity will be ineffable, just like
\nthose of Abraham. As an example, he talked about an American pastor that
\nis indescribably wealthy to the point of buying jet-planes and sowing
\nthem as seeds in different churches. He is so wealthy, and keeps getting
\nwealthier and wealthier because he keeps giving and giving to God.
\nAlthough the most routinely quoted verse on tithing in the Bible,
\nMalachi 3:10 to 12, specifically stated, \u201cBring ye all the tithes into
\nthe storehouse, \u2026and prove me now herewith \u2026if I will not open you the
\nwindows of heaven, and pour you out blessing, that there shall not be
\nroom enough to receive it; and I will rebuke the devourer for your
\nsakes\u201d and \u201call nations shall call you blessed\u2026\u201d; the preacher said that
\npaying your tithe does not bring you God blessings. It only rebukes the
\ndevourer for you. It is after paying your tithes and offerings that you
\nstart the giving that will bring about the financial blessings of God.
\nAlthough his preaching was diametrically contradictory to the teachings
\nof the Bible, it still impressed his listeners to the point of
\nperiodically applauding him.
\nHe said that the smirch of poverty is indelible that, even after death,
\nand the poor believer goes to heaven, there will still be the lingering
\nevidence of his earthly poverty on him. He made reference to the Bible
\nstory in Luke Chapter 16 of a rich man that \u201cfared sumptuously
\neveryday\u201d, and the beggar, Lazarus that \u201claid at his (the rich man\u2019s)
\ngate, full of sores\u201d. After death, Lazarus went to heaven and was in the
\nbosom of Abraham, and the rich man was consigned to hellfire. From hell,
\nthe rich man cried out to Abraham, and asked him to send Lazarus \u201cthat
\nhe may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
\ntormented in this flame\u201d. The preacher said that despite his being in
\nheaven, Lazarus earlier earthly poverty was still evident on him. And
\nthat was why the rich man in hell, could not ask Abraham, who was rich
\non earth, but Lazarus, to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool
\nhis tongue.
\nBy then, I have heard enough of this deliberate, unabashed convolution
\nof the Bible aimed at goading the gullible and timid into emptying their
\npockets into the offering boxes, as offerings, tithes, first fruits and
\nseeds. It was time for me to go. I picked up my Bible and walked out of
\nthe church. Just before the gate, an usher accosted me, \u201cOga, why are
\nyou leaving so early\u201d. I replied, \u201cYes, I have to leave because your
\npastor is lying. He is talking nonsense\u201d. He screamed, \u201cWow! How can you
\nsay that a man of God is lying, talking nonsense? It is wrong. You
\ncannot say that. Though shall not judge\u201d. To which I retorted: but you
\njust judged me by saying that my statement is wrong.
\nProsperity Doctrine is falsehood. It distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ
\nby disregarding the central themes of Christianity and dwelling on
\nsowing seed and getting rich. The object of the earthly ministry of
\nJesus Christ was not to make us rich but to reconcile us unto God, and
\ntransform us into living a Christ-like life. The wealth of a Christian
\nis contingent on being a true Christian, as stated in Matthew 6:33,
\n\u201cSeek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness\u201d \u2013 which is
\nthe object of Christianity \u2013 \u201cand all these things shall be added unto
\nyou\u201d. So, according to the Bible, wealth does not come from sowing
\nseeds, but by seeking the kingdom of God and all his righteousness. To
\nignore the motifs of Christianity, such as salvation, love for our
\nneighbor, faith in God and being Christ-like and just talk prosperity is
\ntendentious mendacity.
\nThe aim of this purposeful falsehood is to line the pastors\u2019 pockets,
\nbuild their financial empires and maintain their awe-inspiring life
\nstyle. It enables them to dwell in magnificent mansions, continually
\nspruce-up their lavish wardrobes, maintain their fleet of luxury cars,
\nbuy private jets and indulge their other fancies \u2013 all \u2013 at the
\nfinancial strangulation of their congregants. Just like the political
\nelite, the religious elite are a major source of the problems for the
\nNigerian society. Both elite groups are obsessed with power and money.
\nThey both reinforce their powers and bolster their personal bank
\naccounts by the intimidation and exploitation of the people. The only
\ndifference is in their methods: the political elite through their
\nperversion of the political process, and the religious elite through
\ntheir perversion of the Word of God.
\nThat Nigeria, the home to the greatest concentration of the extremely
\npoor in the world, is also the home of the wealthiest pastors in the
\nworld is a powerful testament to how successfully the pastors are
\nswindling the masses with their distortion of the Word of God.<\/p>\n