Jet age pastors

Bishop Wale Oke

BISHOP Francis Wale Oke, reacting to the criticism of jet-owner pastors, said on Saturday: “We are being criticised for buying jets! But they forgot that before we started to buy jets, we were winning souls in thousands and millions, turning men and women from darkness to light. We were transforming lives, giving them beauty for ashes.’’

Have you seen the light that Oke spoke of in this country? Is it not the so-called transformed Christians that are looting the treasury, stealing pension funds, making false subsidy claims and committing lechery? The pastors convert people to their lodges, teaching them the commandments of men, but they think that they are building a church for Jesus.

Nearly all Nigerian youths have their bags stocked full with hip hop and other carnal music; sin has gripped the nation with imperial sway; they love football more than Jesus, and yet Bishop Oke has saved millions? The Bible states clearly that no man can save souls. The reason that these jet-owner pastors think that they are saving souls is that their churches are filled to the brim with renegades, a sign that the devil now plies his business using the church as his base. Have you seen any saltiness in the lifestyle of these professing Christians? It is a pity that people who have never had any dealing with the God of Israel, the Father of Lights, think that they are serving God. In reality, they are merely servants of their bellies, for whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever and ever.

They build universities and extend their capitalist frontiers with naked greed; they move about with a huge security apparatus; they are the friends of the Presidency, the darling of senators, and the pride of millions of deceived souls. They are hell-bound, but they proclaim that they are saving souls, not knowing, as the Bible says of the spirit of this Laodecian age, that they are blind, naked, wretched and miserable. A genuine, Holy Ghost-filled minister of the gospel cannot own a university; it is just not possible. The Bible says “O man of God, flee these things.’’ It is not the business of the kingdom to build universities or even engage in humanitarian services: unless and until you are led by the Holy Ghost, you will go to hell with all your so-called charity works which are done, not to give glory to God, but to earn the praises of men. These are whited sepulchres who make their converts two-fold candidates of hell more than themselves. They are servants of money, deceived and deceiving.

I am amazed at the ease with which these men twist the scriptures, saying that God promised every believer that they will be rich! A professor even stated recently that God wants every Christian to be rich but that not all of them would be rich because some would not apply the correct principles. The Bible does not say so. Wealth is a privilege that God confers on whoever He wills: it is not because of the application of principles. Those who say that you can be rich by applying certain principles are psychologists/motivational speakers; they do not know God.

The mind of God concerning His children (I am not talking of churchgoers) is contained in the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father who hath in heaven, hallowed be thy name.’’ That is the first thing; it is above all else. Concerning the flesh, it says “Give us this day our daily bread.’’ Notice that it does not say make us rich but provide our needs for TODAY, not even tomorrow, because we live by faith. Apostle Paul says “And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content, for they that will be rich fall into a snare.’’ Anybody who tells you that you can be rich by applying certain principles is only looking for your money, so that you can buy his/her book and pay tithes/offering into his/her church. If they were God-called, they would be teaching you how to live holy, decent lives and offer righteous service to God. Jesus did not die that we might be rich after the flesh and neither did he die that we might be poor; he died that we might be reconciled back to God.

God gives wealth to whom He will, but men do not give him the glory. God makes some of His children rich so that they can be a help to others in the church, but He does not make all His children rich because He knows those who will not be derailed by wealth; those for whom the wealth will not be a stumbling block. You can fight my words, but God Almighty will have the final say. This is the Bible way.