By Pastor Akinrinlola Olumide
I watched a viral video where a church founder was seen urging the congregation to embrace fetish practices for spiritual empowerment and fortification due to the incessant attacks on Nigerian churches by terrorists. While I agree that Christians must not be stupid, naive, or foolish, I would like to state that the weapons we use are not carnal or fetish.
As Christians, our weapons include the Word of God, praises, worship, repentance, forgiveness, and signs and wonders. While it is permissible and advisable for Christians to defend themselves in physical warfare against terrorists and bandits, it is unbiblical and a complete heresy to advise them to commit spiritual adultery by seeking help from lower gods when the Holy Spirit is available for those who have a relationship with Him and can truly seek Him for the demonstration of power, signs, and wonders.
In 2nd Chronicles 20, the army of Israel under King Jehoshaphat achieved a miraculous victory from God Almighty against a coalition of enemies from the armies of Edom, Moab, and Ammon that came against them with praise and worship, despite their physical weapons. They believed in the power of God and did not even lift a sword to kill one enemy, for God laid ambushes against their foes.
Elijah called down fire from heaven to destroy the king’s soldiers in 2nd Kings chapter 1 without shooting a gun. Joshua asked the sun and moon to stand still to have more daylight so that the Israelites could defeat their enemies in battle.
Late Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa sacked a sitting President in Ghana, Lieutenant General Frederick Akuffo, who dared to question his authority. With a mere pronouncement, Idahosa declared that if Akuffo was still in power within a month, then he was not a genuine man of God. It is on record that within a month, on June 4, 1979, Frederick Akuffo was overthrown in a military coup led by Jerry John Rawlings and subsequently executed.
The same Idahosa sent away armed robbers who visited his house with the authority of God and stopped an international meeting of witches and wizards scheduled to hold in Benin City by demonstrating the raw power of God. What about the late Ayo Babalola and others? What about the late Reverend Dr. Uma Ukpai and his demonstration of faith and the power of God?
It was public knowledge how late Dr. Uma Ukpai and his American friend smuggled the Bible into China in traveling bags at a time when such an act was a criminal offence. They both spoke in tongues when it was time for the scanning machine to check their bags, and all the machines at the airport malfunctioned. How about his personal testimonies of surviving assassination attempts and other dangers, especially when assassins allegedly forced him to drink a poisonous substance? He reportedly declared, “Men like me don’t die,” and he drank it and survived.
In the New Testament, there is no place in the Scriptures where the apostles urged Christians facing persecution to run to the devil for power or to engage in fetish practices to protect themselves.
Jesus Christ has never changed; His power remains the same. The God who operated in the days of Prophet Elijah, Ayo Babalola, and Benson Idahosa is still the same today. As stated in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
It is unfortunate that many contemporary churches seem to have strayed from the authentic demonstration of God’s power. The lines between the church and the world have blurred, leading to a troubling reality where the world has infiltrated the church. This compromise is a significant reason why we no longer witness the transformative power of God in our congregations.
Many pastors today seem to be operating business centres rather than true houses of worship. In their pursuit of profit, they have forgotten the core mission of the church: to bring people into a genuine relationship with Christ and to demonstrate His power and love. Some leaders are more focused on maintaining a religious facade than on fostering a vibrant, living faith that reflects the teachings of Jesus.
Moreover, some individuals have entered the ministry for personal gain, motivated by their own needs rather than a calling from God. They preach messages that cater to their desires, leading congregants away from the truth of the Gospel. This shift away from genuine Christianity has resulted in a lack of the miraculous and a decline in spiritual fervour within our churches.
The absence of God’s power in our worship gatherings is not due to any change in God but rather a change in how His followers engage with Him. It is a call for reflection and a return to the foundational principles of faith, where prayer, genuine worship, and reliance on the Holy Spirit reign supreme. Only then can we expect to see a resurgence of the power of God in our churches, transforming lives and communities as it once did.
Imagine a church founder urging the congregation to embrace fetish practices for spiritual empowerment and fortication. Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in this scenario? Many of the so-called church founders are merely parading titles. They are in the world, and the world is in them. Many of these individuals are religious leaders, but not true Christians. Their emptiness in the Holy Spirit is evident.
The devil is truly on the pulpit!
Olumide is a Pastor, an end time Preacher, and the Publisher of Starnews NG Online Newspaper
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