Publishing this mini-book was not the original intention of our interview with Rev. Mike Ohioneroya. We have heard of him long ago and we decided to probe his mind to discover where he is coming from, where he is going and
where he has been. During the interview, we discovered so many interesting things about him. One was this mini-book which he did on Archbishop Benson Idahosa within a week before his burial. Other chapters of this book and his interview would be publised in our subsequent edition. Serialised with his permission, this book will tell you more about Benson Idahosa.
Chapter IV: Why Archbishop Idahosa left us
The title of this chapter sounds rather presumptuous. It is deliberately so. How else can one interpret the passing on of a spiritual juggernaut. The Archbishop was an Institution who compressed the work of a century into a little below six decades. If several speculations are abroad about how and why he had to go to heaven now, no one should be surprised. What follows, however, is neither a speculation nor a guess.
The Archbishop has gone to heaven so that like Father Abraham, we his freeborn children in the Lord may accept the baton he has passed to us. He has gone so that Jacobs will rise up to be counted. Jacobs who will present the pure Gospel to produce a pure race of believers.
Yes, Papa has gone to rest in the presence of the Lord so that many sons and daughters, nay, a nation of believers will enroll in the pilgrims' band. Our Archbishop B. A. Idahosa has departed to make Josephs of us - Josephs who will fulfill the terms of the new covenant in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Archbishop has gone to heaven so that God's strength will come on the Moses' to match boldly to Lucifer's domain and release all the souls held in captivity and bondage by Satan and his cohorts. Papa has gone to rest so that Joshuas will arise: Joshuas who will lead weary pilgrims through the barriers of the Jordan and the warfare of the saint on to the Promised Land.
Papa left us in order for listening elders and seeing ministers to heed the words of the Lord unto His servant. The word of the Lord says win souls, plant Churches and disciple them. Archbishop B. A. Idahosa has gone that Davids might rise up in us. Those giant killers may rise up; that those with hearts for God may rise up; and that those with noble desires may fill the Church.
He has gone that there will be many Solomons who will build God's house. Papa has gone so that men and women who will see the Glory of the Lord like Isaiah might stand out. Our Daddy has gone so that more Christ filled lives might be made and commissioned; that the Church militant might match on from Victory to Victory until all enemies are conquered.
Your name may not be Abraham or Isaac or even Jacob. You may not be Joseph or Moses by name. You might not even have known or seen a Joshua or a David. You may not be an elder or a minister. You are probably not familiar with the name Isaiah. But you can identify with one or more of them today. Dare to be any of them and you will be fulfilling why the Archbishop died.
An Open Challenge:
Jesus said, "Except a com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abidetl1 alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24).
Our Lord Jesus Christ has made far more disciples after His death than He made in His lifetime. The challenge lies here.
God took His servant home to engender much fruit. Each one of us must now redouble our efforts to make this a reality. Whatever we did before must now be done with more fervency and seriousness. "Much fruit" should now be our aim. If while he was here we produced one fruit, then now that he has gone we should aim for much more fruits...
The Archbishop, in his lifetime, was many things to many people. Here, a few of his attributes are highlighted:
1.
He never despised the days of small beginnings. He was never ashamed to tell of his humble past in life and Ministry. The challenge here speaks out loud. Acknowledge your present status, though lowly, for "from little beginnings the greatest often grow" as we understand from that popular nursery rhyme. Who knows but that where you are now is a stepping stone to great heights.
2.
He was a giving and accessible leader. These aspects of him were common knowledge. It behoves on us to carry this through in our ministries. Papa never hurried out of a service. He lent his ears to all.
3.
He was an evangelist and a pastor of pastors. God requires us to do what He has entrusted to us with the utmost sense of responsibility. We are hereby challenged to do it with all of our strength and commitment.
4.
He was a teacher and a doer of the Word. The Archbishop never regarded the Word of God theoretically. He acted on the Word. If the Bible says his prayer of faith will heal the sick, he prayed it and the sick got healed. Who will desire to do less among those of us left behind? The challenge is for us to act on every given word of God for there to be fruits in our Ministries.
5.
The Archbishop was. an author and educationist. As at the time of his home call, he had written several books. Several evangelistic, tapes have been produced in the TV department. The REDEMPTION FAITH magazine is growing stronger and going far and wide. The Educational Institutions under his ministry have been listed earlier. Tens of indigent students were under his scholarship in many tertiary Institutions in Nigeria .
The challenge here is daunting. Who are those ready to use their God given gifts in these twin areas of writing and education? The coast is clear, for a colossus has left the way, even he who had led the way.
6.
He was a man who could not be intimidated. The Archbishop knew how to walk through the valley of difficulties and emerge on top of the mountain using the difficulties as scaffoldings. Be they court cases; be they external threats on him personally or on the mission in general, he stood his ground and waded through. He had calmed our frayed nerves once when the Irri episode happened:
"I am not moved by what I hear. I am only moved by the Word of God". Those words were what we needed and we relaxed in the Lord.
His residence, "GOD'S OWN PALACE" is situated in the part of town classified as "forbidden". And indeed several weird stories were told about the bush. It was a dreaded part of town. No one ventured near the bush. But not the Archbishop. As fearless as ever, and empowered by the boldness from on High, he sent bulldozers and caterpillars into the bush and took possession of it.
He also defiled several "forbidden" events in Bini Kingdom . Sometimes, they had cursed him with their most feared deities, expecting him to die in days but not the Archbishop. He rather grew fatter and more robust.
Will there be another Archbishop? Time will tell. But the challenge is there for any of us to face up to. He has departed and left us to face up to difficult occasions whenever they arise in our lives and Ministries. It is a great challenge.
7.
He was a man who subdued and dominated his environment by faith. He did this in several instances. He asked us out of a morning service at the Miracle Centre once. "March to the adjourning parcel of land" he had instructed us. We obeyed. Right inside the grass ridden ground, with idols dotting everywhere, he announced. "Henceforth this land has become ours for the soles of our feet have touched it. Away with idols". The owners of the parcel of land were hearing all this. That is where the Faith Medical Centre stands today.
He has gone and left us with a challenge to go and do likewise. The shoe is large but we must ask for God's enlargement of our feet. We cannot afford to reduce the shoe's size.
8.
He was a builder of men and structures. Papa believed in building the total man. Through the educational Institutions he established, he fed the souls of men and women and prepared children for a better tomorrow. He enjoyed this aspect of his ministry evidently. His teachings in his now famous " School of Wisdom " have done so much for so many. A sobbing woman told me between tears. "Tell me who will now be my adviser. Whom do I run to when I have a problem?" She was echoing the feelings of so many people whose lives Papa had touched. He had helped several struggling and staggering feet to stand firm.
He was a builder
of men and structures. Papa believed
in building the total
man.
His passion for buildings has become legendary. He built and built even to that last moment. He played the Engineer, the quantity surveyor; the architect and the supervising engineer. His stamina was certainly from above. It was not the type one could obtain from vitamin tablets.
Who will take up such a challenge? It has now fallen on our shoulders and we must face up to it squarely. By his departure several builders of men and structures should spring forth.
9. He was a full Gospeller. He preached, taught and healed, as it was with our Lord Jesus Christ. To him, the Gospel was a total package; it contained the totality of God's best for His children (3 John 2). And he never diminished it.
"Come out, Come out, you foul spirit" were expressions Papa used effectively. At those words of command, demons took to flight. Be they infinities, oppressive spirits or whatever they were, they obeyed and ran away.
Now that he has gone, he leaves us to go a step further than he went. The signs of the full Gospel must manifest in our Ministries. We need to seek the Lord for the actualization of these.
10.
He had more than a fair share of charisma. His mere presence doused raging conflagrations. You may say what you wished in his absence but once he appeared you swallowed your words. On his part he cared little what you said of him positive or negative.
"You only see your backbiters when you look back" he often said. "So go forward and never look back"
Combined with his charisma was the uncanny manner in which he affected lives. His was an infectious personality. His presence could not be ignored or go unnoticed. He had a charm about him that endeared him to friends and foes alike.
Papa was a man with a vision for the things of God. He never failed to dream dreams. And his dreams were tall ones. What interested him most was when there was a new project to execute. With him "impossible" was not in the dictionary. Whatever it took, the Archbishop went all out to fulfill his dream. He succeeded because his vision was with a mission.
His vision rode on the crests of his mission on earth. God Himself pointed the way to Benson Andrew Idahosa's uniqueness when He allowed him to live, rather than die in a rubbish heap. Since that day, he never looked back. Through the vicissitudes of life, he clung to the Bible and went round the globe with it, fulfilling his mission. He knew his mission and never deviated from it. He saw souls as precious fruits for harvest.
He held his sickle and pitched his tent in the harvest field for them. In the day he saw souls and reached out for them. At night he dreamed about them. He lived evangelism, and he ate evangelism. Indeed, evangelism flowed in his veins. The motto, "evangelism our supreme task" was not a mere slogan, when he coined it for Church of God Mission WorId wide. It exemplified his mission on earth. And Heavens bear record that he lived for his mission and died in it.
The challenge here is enormous. Who will move his base into souls' field? Who will live his life daily for the sole purpose of reaching out to souls? Dreamers, visionaries and goal achievers are wanted. Who will step out to be counted? The vacuum Papa has left is wide. A call is out for "Idahosas". A call is out for men and women who will catch the vision. It is ringing in urgency, for there is no more time for aimless believers.
Papa has shown the way. Men with Missions arise. Women arise with your Missions. Pursue them and perfect them. Like the Archbishop, work for the Master today as if it were your last day on this side of eternity. Do not hide your endowments under the table. Let your light burn brightly and let it shine forth for all to see. Papa has gone that we might pursue the cause of evangelism. It must henceforth remain our supreme task.
A grain of wheat has fallen down in our midst. This grain has died so that it did not have to abide alone. As of necessity, many fruits must now come up. Out of the fruits should emerge many grains. This challenge must be met.
Even so, help us Lord Jesus.
- Rev. Mike Ohioneroya
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Is oral sex biblically wrong within marriage?
QUESTION: “My wife and I love the Lord with all our hearts, and we don't want to do anything to sin against Him. Our question is in the area of oral sex. Is it scripturally wrong for married couples?”
No where does the Bible forbid it or discuss it. There is no biblical evidence that it is a sin against God for a husband and wife to express love for each other in this way. Even the book of Leviticus, which mentions many Old Testament sex-related prohibitions and rules for the Israelites, never mentions it. We see no reason to believe that expressing affection for one's mate in this way is forbidden or would necessarily harm one's walk with God.
We are aware that some have tried to make a biblical issue out of what parts of the body a married couple can and cannot kiss. In their minds, there is only only one biblical form of sexual expression in marriage, sexual intercourse. They attempt to defend their viewpoint on biblical grounds—trying to make it into a holiness issue. However, no where do we see Scripture putting such limits on the sexual relationship of a godly husband and wife, even Levitical priests (who were forbidden to do many things).
Most knowledgeable and spiritually mature Christians realize that God is the author of sex and love, and every part and sensation of the human body, and that He intended the relationship between husband and wife to be loving, sensuous, joyful, creative and full of pleasure.
Read the somewhat cryptic Song of Solomon from a lover's point of view. Using delicate, romantic language and metaphors, it describes a beautiful, affectionate, romantic, sensuous, joyful and passionate love between husband and wife. It seems to be speaking of the lovers tasting, eating and drinking of each other's bodies (Song of Songs 2:3; 4:16; 8:2). One cannot be sure what this means exactly, but certainly we see no evidence here or elsewhere that God is concerned with what part of their bodies might be touching, including where they kissed their mate. (About the Song of Solomon, see the WebBible Encyclopedia http://ChristianAnswers.Net/dictionary/solomonsongof.html)
God is concerned about your love for each other. He wants all Christians, including husbands and wives, to be kind to each other, patient, respectful and unselfish. Ultimate love is pure in motive and action. Follow that goal, and you are not likely to go wrong.
What about Sodom?
Perhaps you have heard some one claim that oral lovemaking in marriage as wrong by associating it with the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This comparison is misguided and offensive. It is quite clear that Sodom's problems had nothing to do with how godly, loving marriage partners were expressing their affection for each other.
To the contrary, there was a total lack of godly, loving, heterosexual marriage partners in Sodom (save Lot and his wife). We shall not name the many gross and demonically inspired evils that probably took place among the wicked there. It is better left unsaid. Suffice it to say that the list would sicken most people. “The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” (Genesis 13:13). Serious students of the Bible and archaeology know that the kind of things that were going on at Sodom were done by extremely ungodly people, expressing enormous selfishness, total lack of love, extreme spiritual depravity, and major rebellion against God. In other words, the sex lives of godly husbands and wives was not an issue at these cities, nor did it have anything to do with its destruction.
Although the Bible is silent on the specifics of what you have asked (apparently leaving it up to the mutual agreement of the marriage partners), it is not silent on sex in marriage. Conservative Christian marriage counselors Dr. Ed Wheat and Gloria Okes Perkins point out that…
“…a biblical understanding of sex dispels false fears and inhibitions. …The Scriptures tell us clearly that the joyous sexual expression of love between husband and wife is God's plan. …Uninformed people have actually considered the Victorian view to be biblical because they think the Bible forbids all earthly pleasures. Certainly not! In fact, the Bible is far more 'liberated' concerning sex than untaught people realize. In God's view there is a mutuality of experience between husband and wife. Each has an equal right to the other's body. Each has not only the freedom but also the responsibility to please the other and to be pleased in return. …These basic principles concerning the enjoyment of sex in marriage are found in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5…
The principle of need… a commandment, to meet our mate's sexual needs…
The principle of authority… when we marry, we actually relinquish the right to our own body, and turn that authority over to our mate. …the wife's body now belongs to the husband. The husband's body now belongs to the wife. This means that we must love our mate's body and care for it as our own…
The principle of habit… we must not cheat our partner by abstaining from the habit of sex, except by mutual consent for a brief time” [Love Life for Every Married Couple, pp. 70-73].
No where does the Bible forbid it or discuss it. There is no biblical evidence that it is a sin against God for a husband and wife to express love for each other in this way. Even the book of Leviticus, which mentions many Old Testament sex-related prohibitions and rules for the Israelites, never mentions it. We see no reason to believe that expressing affection for one's mate in this way is forbidden or would necessarily harm one's walk with God.
We are aware that some have tried to make a biblical issue out of what parts of the body a married couple can and cannot kiss. In their minds, there is only only one biblical form of sexual expression in marriage, sexual intercourse. They attempt to defend their viewpoint on biblical grounds—trying to make it into a holiness issue. However, no where do we see Scripture putting such limits on the sexual relationship of a godly husband and wife, even Levitical priests (who were forbidden to do many things).
Most knowledgeable and spiritually mature Christians realize that God is the author of sex and love, and every part and sensation of the human body, and that He intended the relationship between husband and wife to be loving, sensuous, joyful, creative and full of pleasure.
Read the somewhat cryptic Song of Solomon from a lover's point of view. Using delicate, romantic language and metaphors, it describes a beautiful, affectionate, romantic, sensuous, joyful and passionate love between husband and wife. It seems to be speaking of the lovers tasting, eating and drinking of each other's bodies (Song of Songs 2:3; 4:16; 8:2). One cannot be sure what this means exactly, but certainly we see no evidence here or elsewhere that God is concerned with what part of their bodies might be touching, including where they kissed their mate. (About the Song of Solomon, see the WebBible Encyclopedia http://ChristianAnswers.Net/dictionary/solomonsongof.html)
God is concerned about your love for each other. He wants all Christians, including husbands and wives, to be kind to each other, patient, respectful and unselfish. Ultimate love is pure in motive and action. Follow that goal, and you are not likely to go wrong.
What about Sodom?
Perhaps you have heard some one claim that oral lovemaking in marriage as wrong by associating it with the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This comparison is misguided and offensive. It is quite clear that Sodom's problems had nothing to do with how godly, loving marriage partners were expressing their affection for each other.
To the contrary, there was a total lack of godly, loving, heterosexual marriage partners in Sodom (save Lot and his wife). We shall not name the many gross and demonically inspired evils that probably took place among the wicked there. It is better left unsaid. Suffice it to say that the list would sicken most people. “The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” (Genesis 13:13). Serious students of the Bible and archaeology know that the kind of things that were going on at Sodom were done by extremely ungodly people, expressing enormous selfishness, total lack of love, extreme spiritual depravity, and major rebellion against God. In other words, the sex lives of godly husbands and wives was not an issue at these cities, nor did it have anything to do with its destruction.
Although the Bible is silent on the specifics of what you have asked (apparently leaving it up to the mutual agreement of the marriage partners), it is not silent on sex in marriage. Conservative Christian marriage counselors Dr. Ed Wheat and Gloria Okes Perkins point out that…
“…a biblical understanding of sex dispels false fears and inhibitions. …The Scriptures tell us clearly that the joyous sexual expression of love between husband and wife is God's plan. …Uninformed people have actually considered the Victorian view to be biblical because they think the Bible forbids all earthly pleasures. Certainly not! In fact, the Bible is far more 'liberated' concerning sex than untaught people realize. In God's view there is a mutuality of experience between husband and wife. Each has an equal right to the other's body. Each has not only the freedom but also the responsibility to please the other and to be pleased in return. …These basic principles concerning the enjoyment of sex in marriage are found in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5…
The principle of need… a commandment, to meet our mate's sexual needs…
The principle of authority… when we marry, we actually relinquish the right to our own body, and turn that authority over to our mate. …the wife's body now belongs to the husband. The husband's body now belongs to the wife. This means that we must love our mate's body and care for it as our own…
The principle of habit… we must not cheat our partner by abstaining from the habit of sex, except by mutual consent for a brief time” [Love Life for Every Married Couple, pp. 70-73].
Monday, December 7, 2009
RE: PROPHET OBADARE AND LATE BIMBO ODUKOYA VISION - MATTERS ARISING.
I logged in into my facebook on the 3rd of December, 2009. After a long time in the traffic coming from the Fate Foundation Award night. I was surprised to see people commenting on the vision the world evangelist saw and shared publicly I believe. I did not get the full details of the vision I have to go to Google to get a link and have the full gist. I got this which I copied here without editing:
"when I died I found myself at Heaven's Gate, there I was told by some angels that Jesus was unhappy with me, they showed me the mansion that Jesus had built for me but they added that Jesus did not wish to see me, I was told that He was displeased with the role I played in the break-up of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC) into various factions, while there I also saw the late Babalola who founded the CAC who said he was not pleased with me either, he it was who told me to get back to earth and ensure that I disband my church(WOSEM) and send messages to all leaders of the splinter congregations to re-align themselves with the original congregation founded by Babalola,"
"to demonstrate the gravity of the instructions given to me and to emphasize what would happen to me if I disobeyed I was led to Hell's Gate where I saw millions of souls weeping, gnashing their teeth and writhing in agony, but I was startled to see a female pastor who made her mark on earth but died a premature death in a plane crash several years ago, yes it was pastor bimbo odukoya I saw!, I blurted out to her 'pastor what are you doing in this place?', she replied 'this is where I am o, they say it is because of my dressing, my mini skirts, my hairdos and my lifestyle, that is what has landed me here o, please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o!', I have therefore sent a message to pastor bimbo's husband, taiwo who founded Fountain of Life Church,"
Permit me to give my own view of the whole issue as it affects the entire Christian fold and the nation at large. We will start by doing a thorough analysis of the vision and then come out with conclusion whether the above is worth having a sleepless night over or it worth having a night vigil over. I remember that when I was a small boy, we used to watch baba on the TV with the intro song that goes thus “di dun di dun loro re…” which mean your words are sweet… Baba was seriously held in high esteem then and miracles happened daily at the monthly night vigil organized by the same tagged “Olorun koseun ti”.
I was surprised those days to hear of the issues between baba and the CAC. They eventually took themselves to court and the eventual break up was the resolution then. Apparently baba was a great apostle to our generation. Moreover, I have been privileged to meet baba on two occasions at Ilesa and Ibadan respectively. This man is truly a man of God! Nevertheless does that mean that everything he says, must be taken hook, line and sinker?? We have to check from the scripture to verify the authenticity of that vision. Every vision and prophesy given must not contradict the scripture for a second.
On the other hand too, I was privileged to follow the ministry of Pastor Bimbo Odukoya while she was alive. I followed through all the avenues available to me at that time, tapes, CDs, Conferences, television, magazines which in turn took me to her church and eventually I was able to meet with her, we talked for close to 2hrs. All am saying is that I know the stuff she was made of before she died. I have to let you see that these two people involved are well known to me and I will not be bias but my OPINION shall be based on my scriptural knowledge, but I stand to be corrected in some of my views as nobody has entire biblical knowledge.
"When i died i found myself at Heaven's Gate…: this is the first thing that I will first address. Did baba died truly? Or he was caught up in a vision or trance? Robert Liadon saw heaven in a vision, Apostle Paul saw heaven too and some great people in the bible. You don't need to die before you see heaven. Where do I get that from? “And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, from” Heb. 9: 27 NLT. The rich man in the Bible, begged to come back and tell people what he has seen but he was rejected, do you think you have to die and rise up again before you can be taking seriously?
When i died i found myself at Heaven's Gate, there i was told by some angels that Jesus was unhappy with me, they showed me the mansion that Jesus had built for me but they…: I think the time has come for us Christians to stop thinking that all that we live for on earth is to get a mansion in heaven as a reward for our tolling on earth! Let us get back to the bible and read well and understand what the scripture is saying on that. Beside baba was not allowed to enter heaven, he was at the heaven's gate and at the same time was showed the mansion! My question is, was the mansion adjacent the gate or opposite the gate maybe by the gate?
I was told that He was displeased with the role i played in the break-up of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC) into various factions, while there i also saw the late Babalola who founded the CAC who said he was not pleased with me either, he it was who told me to get back to earth and ensure that i disband my church(WOSEM) and send messages to all leaders of the splinter congregations to re-align themselves with the original congregation founded by Babalola"… I do not have objection to this because I don't really know the role baba played during the break up. When I was young I thought he was being persecuted. So this one is between him and God and the CAC leadership.
"to demonstrate the gravity of the instructions given to me and to emphasize what would happen to me if i disobeyed i was led to Hell's Gate where i saw millions of souls weeping, gnashing their teeth and writhing in agony, but i was startled to see a female pastor who made her mark on earth but died a premature death in a plane crash several years ago, yes it was pastor bimbo odukoya i saw!, i blurted out to her 'pastor what are you doing in this place?', she replied 'this is where i am o, they say it is because of my dressing, my mini skirts, my hairdos and my lifestyle, that is what has landed me here o, please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o!', i have therefore sent a message to pastor bimbo's husband, taiwo who founded Fountain of Life Church" This is the main issue here, the pictures painted here is that pastor Bimbo went to hell because of “mini skirt, hair do and lifestyle”
1. Where in the scriptures did we see Christians going to hell because of hair do or dressing? What is the bible says about that?
2. Has anyone ever seen pastor Bimbo Odukoya on mini skirt before? I have not seen her but I will like to know if anyone has seen her with mini skirt before?
3. What lifestyle got her hell's ticket? This was someone who people gave their lives to Christ through her lifestyle of decency and spirituality.
4. Hmm…. How will a statement like:
“Please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o! That statement is not scriptural because nobody can save himself. God is the only one that could save his people, and I don't think such heresy will come from God. Above all prophesies, visions and dreams are supposed to edify and take people closer to God according to 1Cor14:19-25
20 Dear brothers and sisters don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures,*“I will speak to my own people Through unknown languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,”*says the Lord. 22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is really here among you.”
In the actual sense, the last verse spelled it out well the unbelievers will say God is really here. However this dream, message, vision or prophesy I don't even know what to call it, has even draw people back from God's kingdom and unbelievers are even saying if a woman who served God with passion and dedication like that can go to hell then who can be saved? That is the question on people lips. God will not contradict Himself, if visions are to draw people closer to “God like I saw Heaven” by Robert Liadon did. They did not scare people out of God kingdom why will this one now push people to the other side of the kingdom?
This is my opinion, like I said earlier on that, I have been able to meet the two of them and I know the stuff they are made of, having analyzed this message very well in the light of the scriptures I DON'T, THINK THIS IS COMING FROM BABA OBADARE and if it is true then…………
"when I died I found myself at Heaven's Gate, there I was told by some angels that Jesus was unhappy with me, they showed me the mansion that Jesus had built for me but they added that Jesus did not wish to see me, I was told that He was displeased with the role I played in the break-up of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC) into various factions, while there I also saw the late Babalola who founded the CAC who said he was not pleased with me either, he it was who told me to get back to earth and ensure that I disband my church(WOSEM) and send messages to all leaders of the splinter congregations to re-align themselves with the original congregation founded by Babalola,"
"to demonstrate the gravity of the instructions given to me and to emphasize what would happen to me if I disobeyed I was led to Hell's Gate where I saw millions of souls weeping, gnashing their teeth and writhing in agony, but I was startled to see a female pastor who made her mark on earth but died a premature death in a plane crash several years ago, yes it was pastor bimbo odukoya I saw!, I blurted out to her 'pastor what are you doing in this place?', she replied 'this is where I am o, they say it is because of my dressing, my mini skirts, my hairdos and my lifestyle, that is what has landed me here o, please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o!', I have therefore sent a message to pastor bimbo's husband, taiwo who founded Fountain of Life Church,"
Permit me to give my own view of the whole issue as it affects the entire Christian fold and the nation at large. We will start by doing a thorough analysis of the vision and then come out with conclusion whether the above is worth having a sleepless night over or it worth having a night vigil over. I remember that when I was a small boy, we used to watch baba on the TV with the intro song that goes thus “di dun di dun loro re…” which mean your words are sweet… Baba was seriously held in high esteem then and miracles happened daily at the monthly night vigil organized by the same tagged “Olorun koseun ti”.
I was surprised those days to hear of the issues between baba and the CAC. They eventually took themselves to court and the eventual break up was the resolution then. Apparently baba was a great apostle to our generation. Moreover, I have been privileged to meet baba on two occasions at Ilesa and Ibadan respectively. This man is truly a man of God! Nevertheless does that mean that everything he says, must be taken hook, line and sinker?? We have to check from the scripture to verify the authenticity of that vision. Every vision and prophesy given must not contradict the scripture for a second.
On the other hand too, I was privileged to follow the ministry of Pastor Bimbo Odukoya while she was alive. I followed through all the avenues available to me at that time, tapes, CDs, Conferences, television, magazines which in turn took me to her church and eventually I was able to meet with her, we talked for close to 2hrs. All am saying is that I know the stuff she was made of before she died. I have to let you see that these two people involved are well known to me and I will not be bias but my OPINION shall be based on my scriptural knowledge, but I stand to be corrected in some of my views as nobody has entire biblical knowledge.
"When i died i found myself at Heaven's Gate…: this is the first thing that I will first address. Did baba died truly? Or he was caught up in a vision or trance? Robert Liadon saw heaven in a vision, Apostle Paul saw heaven too and some great people in the bible. You don't need to die before you see heaven. Where do I get that from? “And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, from” Heb. 9: 27 NLT. The rich man in the Bible, begged to come back and tell people what he has seen but he was rejected, do you think you have to die and rise up again before you can be taking seriously?
When i died i found myself at Heaven's Gate, there i was told by some angels that Jesus was unhappy with me, they showed me the mansion that Jesus had built for me but they…: I think the time has come for us Christians to stop thinking that all that we live for on earth is to get a mansion in heaven as a reward for our tolling on earth! Let us get back to the bible and read well and understand what the scripture is saying on that. Beside baba was not allowed to enter heaven, he was at the heaven's gate and at the same time was showed the mansion! My question is, was the mansion adjacent the gate or opposite the gate maybe by the gate?
I was told that He was displeased with the role i played in the break-up of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC) into various factions, while there i also saw the late Babalola who founded the CAC who said he was not pleased with me either, he it was who told me to get back to earth and ensure that i disband my church(WOSEM) and send messages to all leaders of the splinter congregations to re-align themselves with the original congregation founded by Babalola"… I do not have objection to this because I don't really know the role baba played during the break up. When I was young I thought he was being persecuted. So this one is between him and God and the CAC leadership.
"to demonstrate the gravity of the instructions given to me and to emphasize what would happen to me if i disobeyed i was led to Hell's Gate where i saw millions of souls weeping, gnashing their teeth and writhing in agony, but i was startled to see a female pastor who made her mark on earth but died a premature death in a plane crash several years ago, yes it was pastor bimbo odukoya i saw!, i blurted out to her 'pastor what are you doing in this place?', she replied 'this is where i am o, they say it is because of my dressing, my mini skirts, my hairdos and my lifestyle, that is what has landed me here o, please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o!', i have therefore sent a message to pastor bimbo's husband, taiwo who founded Fountain of Life Church" This is the main issue here, the pictures painted here is that pastor Bimbo went to hell because of “mini skirt, hair do and lifestyle”
1. Where in the scriptures did we see Christians going to hell because of hair do or dressing? What is the bible says about that?
2. Has anyone ever seen pastor Bimbo Odukoya on mini skirt before? I have not seen her but I will like to know if anyone has seen her with mini skirt before?
3. What lifestyle got her hell's ticket? This was someone who people gave their lives to Christ through her lifestyle of decency and spirituality.
4. Hmm…. How will a statement like:
“Please if you can go back and tell my people, please tell them to save themselves o! That statement is not scriptural because nobody can save himself. God is the only one that could save his people, and I don't think such heresy will come from God. Above all prophesies, visions and dreams are supposed to edify and take people closer to God according to 1Cor14:19-25
20 Dear brothers and sisters don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures,*“I will speak to my own people Through unknown languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,”*says the Lord. 22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is really here among you.”
In the actual sense, the last verse spelled it out well the unbelievers will say God is really here. However this dream, message, vision or prophesy I don't even know what to call it, has even draw people back from God's kingdom and unbelievers are even saying if a woman who served God with passion and dedication like that can go to hell then who can be saved? That is the question on people lips. God will not contradict Himself, if visions are to draw people closer to “God like I saw Heaven” by Robert Liadon did. They did not scare people out of God kingdom why will this one now push people to the other side of the kingdom?
This is my opinion, like I said earlier on that, I have been able to meet the two of them and I know the stuff they are made of, having analyzed this message very well in the light of the scriptures I DON'T, THINK THIS IS COMING FROM BABA OBADARE and if it is true then…………
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Church, The minister, The Honorarium and The money
I just read a post on the facebook posted by Dayo Israel and I will be doing myself, people out there who are just Christian and are ignorant of the scripture a lot of harms if I don’t give a light to this and above all, use this post to prevent the unbelievers from misunderstanding what the Master truly sent us to do as ministers.
For the purpose of clarity, I have divided this post into 4 major parts so let us start from the first one:
THE CHURCH
The church is a term usually misunderstood these days, the word church as we know is not the meeting place and is also beyond the congregation. It means the called out ones and that was what apostle Paul talked about when he said “we have been called out of darkness into his marvellous light” however we cannot deny that among the called out ones, we still have different levels of maturity that is why God the owner of the church called some people out for a special purpose and they are called:
THE MINISTERS
This is the name we know them to be these days, but truly they are and is scriptural too. But out of them we have Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, pastors and the Teachers. God recruited and called them for a purpose;
11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Eph 4:11-13.
The scriptures above explain vividly what the roles of the ministers are. One responsibility stands out here; to equip God’s people, and this can be done through preaching, teaching, praying, counselling, encouraging and rebuking.
The Honorariums
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica library
on•o•rar•i•um \"ä-nə-'rer-ē-əm\ n, pl -ia \-ē-ə\ also -i•ums [L, fr. neut. of honorarius] (1658) : a payment for a service (as making a speech) on which custom or propriety forbids a price to be set
I have to paste this meaning so that we can be cleared by the time am drawing the conclusions of this piece. Hmmm if honorarium is a payment in which the custom forbids a price to be set, I keep wondering why we charge fees and reject the little given to us because it’s not up to what we think we are worth. Worst of them, ministers select the invitations to honour because of the perceived fee they are likely to get. Let me stop here and talk about the last one which is;
THE MONEY
It will surprise you to know that the only thing Jesus place on the same plat foam with God is money. Are you surprise! How will you explain the statement of Jesus that says “you cannot serve God and Mammon” both cannot be served together. Money is a very important tool to do the work of the ministry it is also very dangerous to the ministry and the ministers because many have destroyed their destiny and also have it shipwrecked so says Apostle Paul. There is a need for us to be careful how we deal with money as ministers of the gospel.
Submissively, as someone who has been in preaching for the past 14years I think I have a say on this matter and this is what am going to do now. Am I in support of what Dayo Israel said? Maybe or maybe not. But there was never at any time in the bible that Jesus said to his disciples to charge money for their preaching engagement, in fact he said is a place that they should take neither purse nor money along just to proof that he is the SUPPLIER of their needs, then in another place He asked them to take that along and that IF they were given anything they should take it but never asked for it.
I used to wonder why ministers expect so much from a small congregation and they feel bad when what they are given is not up to what they are expecting. The Question comes to mind “these ministers are they into the ministry because of money?” look the truth is, relying on honorarium is a proof that you have not seen God as the one who is capable of supplying your need. If your accommodation, feeding and your transportation is provided for what else do you need? I charge people if am consulting for them based on my business but I will never charge you or expect money from you when coming to preach in your church because is a spiritual matter.
The word you are preaching whose word? It is not your word so you don’t have the right to charge for it, how much did Jesus charged you before you start to preach the gospel? Or can you start to use someone materials in the corporate world without paying for the copyright? Or will you not take permission before you use the materials? If Jesus did not charge you anything why will you charge the saints? Will the shepherd demand money from the sheep before feeding them?
For if Paul did not charge people before preaching the gospel but decided to work with his hands to pay his bills and travel around why will today’s ministers start charging? We should not take the scriptures out of context, apostle Paul was not saying people should minister to them with money because he has minister to them spiritual things. He is simply saying it is not bad if they received it. Look at these scriptures in the NLT version
16 For preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn't do it! 17 If I were doing this of my own free will, then I would deserve payment. But God has chosen me and given me this sacred trust, and I have no choice. 18 What then is my pay? It is the satisfaction I get from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights as a preacher. 19 This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. 1Cor 9.
Think of it, if Dayo is saying the honorarium should be divided with the number of the congregation to give us the amount the gospel worth. Hmmm, even if you were given a million dollar is that how much the life and the blood of Jesus worth? You cannot put a price tag on the gospel my brother! The cost of preparing is no excuse, even let them put you in the first class it is God that will give you safe trip to where you are going, then how much will you pay him for that.
That is why you see most of the ministers charging fees and they preach without power and signs. They find it difficult to say the truth so that their host will not change his mind concerning the fee. I think fees should follow the principle of honorarium which is a fee paid you without a price. If you were given take it if you were not given don’t get mad and don’t make that your target of preaching the gospel. We have preachers who bless the church they were invited to. Please let us see the Almighty God as the source of our needs; if he has called you he will supply your needs. A lot of preachers have collected their reward on earth as honorarium when they get to the heaven there will be nothing left to collect again. Let us get the gospel right if the Lord called you he will pay your bills.
For the purpose of clarity, I have divided this post into 4 major parts so let us start from the first one:
THE CHURCH
The church is a term usually misunderstood these days, the word church as we know is not the meeting place and is also beyond the congregation. It means the called out ones and that was what apostle Paul talked about when he said “we have been called out of darkness into his marvellous light” however we cannot deny that among the called out ones, we still have different levels of maturity that is why God the owner of the church called some people out for a special purpose and they are called:
THE MINISTERS
This is the name we know them to be these days, but truly they are and is scriptural too. But out of them we have Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, pastors and the Teachers. God recruited and called them for a purpose;
11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Eph 4:11-13.
The scriptures above explain vividly what the roles of the ministers are. One responsibility stands out here; to equip God’s people, and this can be done through preaching, teaching, praying, counselling, encouraging and rebuking.
The Honorariums
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica library
on•o•rar•i•um \"ä-nə-'rer-ē-əm\ n, pl -ia \-ē-ə\ also -i•ums [L, fr. neut. of honorarius] (1658) : a payment for a service (as making a speech) on which custom or propriety forbids a price to be set
I have to paste this meaning so that we can be cleared by the time am drawing the conclusions of this piece. Hmmm if honorarium is a payment in which the custom forbids a price to be set, I keep wondering why we charge fees and reject the little given to us because it’s not up to what we think we are worth. Worst of them, ministers select the invitations to honour because of the perceived fee they are likely to get. Let me stop here and talk about the last one which is;
THE MONEY
It will surprise you to know that the only thing Jesus place on the same plat foam with God is money. Are you surprise! How will you explain the statement of Jesus that says “you cannot serve God and Mammon” both cannot be served together. Money is a very important tool to do the work of the ministry it is also very dangerous to the ministry and the ministers because many have destroyed their destiny and also have it shipwrecked so says Apostle Paul. There is a need for us to be careful how we deal with money as ministers of the gospel.
Submissively, as someone who has been in preaching for the past 14years I think I have a say on this matter and this is what am going to do now. Am I in support of what Dayo Israel said? Maybe or maybe not. But there was never at any time in the bible that Jesus said to his disciples to charge money for their preaching engagement, in fact he said is a place that they should take neither purse nor money along just to proof that he is the SUPPLIER of their needs, then in another place He asked them to take that along and that IF they were given anything they should take it but never asked for it.
I used to wonder why ministers expect so much from a small congregation and they feel bad when what they are given is not up to what they are expecting. The Question comes to mind “these ministers are they into the ministry because of money?” look the truth is, relying on honorarium is a proof that you have not seen God as the one who is capable of supplying your need. If your accommodation, feeding and your transportation is provided for what else do you need? I charge people if am consulting for them based on my business but I will never charge you or expect money from you when coming to preach in your church because is a spiritual matter.
The word you are preaching whose word? It is not your word so you don’t have the right to charge for it, how much did Jesus charged you before you start to preach the gospel? Or can you start to use someone materials in the corporate world without paying for the copyright? Or will you not take permission before you use the materials? If Jesus did not charge you anything why will you charge the saints? Will the shepherd demand money from the sheep before feeding them?
For if Paul did not charge people before preaching the gospel but decided to work with his hands to pay his bills and travel around why will today’s ministers start charging? We should not take the scriptures out of context, apostle Paul was not saying people should minister to them with money because he has minister to them spiritual things. He is simply saying it is not bad if they received it. Look at these scriptures in the NLT version
16 For preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn't do it! 17 If I were doing this of my own free will, then I would deserve payment. But God has chosen me and given me this sacred trust, and I have no choice. 18 What then is my pay? It is the satisfaction I get from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights as a preacher. 19 This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. 1Cor 9.
Think of it, if Dayo is saying the honorarium should be divided with the number of the congregation to give us the amount the gospel worth. Hmmm, even if you were given a million dollar is that how much the life and the blood of Jesus worth? You cannot put a price tag on the gospel my brother! The cost of preparing is no excuse, even let them put you in the first class it is God that will give you safe trip to where you are going, then how much will you pay him for that.
That is why you see most of the ministers charging fees and they preach without power and signs. They find it difficult to say the truth so that their host will not change his mind concerning the fee. I think fees should follow the principle of honorarium which is a fee paid you without a price. If you were given take it if you were not given don’t get mad and don’t make that your target of preaching the gospel. We have preachers who bless the church they were invited to. Please let us see the Almighty God as the source of our needs; if he has called you he will supply your needs. A lot of preachers have collected their reward on earth as honorarium when they get to the heaven there will be nothing left to collect again. Let us get the gospel right if the Lord called you he will pay your bills.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
U,S BASED NIGERIAN PRIEST SACKED FOR BEING MATERIALISTISTIC
U.S-Based Nigerian Priest Sacked For Being Materialistic
January 06, 2009 15:38
By Simon Ateba
A Nigerian catholic priest, who was recruited to fill empty pulpits in parishes across the United States of America, was sacked for being materialistic, The New York Times newspaper has said.
The U.S. influential newspaper reports that the Nigerian priest, whose names were not mentioned, was temporary recruited at the St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Owensboro, Western Kentucky, but was asked to go after he requested for three pairs of glasses. He was offered one for free.
“An American pastor said the Nigerian had seemed overly interested in material goods. When an ophthalmologist offered to fit him for glasses at no charge, he asked for three pairs” the newspaper reported.
Parishioners also complained that they could not understand his accent. PM.News could not establish where the Nigerian priest hails from in Nigeria. He was replaced by a Kenyan priest, Rev. Chrispin Oneko, whom the parishioners found to be different from the Nigerian.
“He listened and won people over with his humility. Where the Nigerian priest had taught the choir to sing African hymns, Father Oneko did not try to impose his worship style. And he learned to keep his sermons to no more than 15 minutes and the Masses to one hour.”
The Kenyan priest also had his trying times. The paper reports that after leading one of his first Sunday Masses at his new American parish, Rev. Oneko, was feeling content until he discovered several small notes left by his parishioners.
The notes, all anonymous, conveyed the same message: Father, please make your homilies shorter. One said even five minutes was too long for a mother with children.
One Sunday, after he opened his homily with a joke that fell flat, he said, “I know some of you are looking at your watches, so I’ll make it brief.”
Unlike in Kenya, where he had been a charismatic catholic, participating in faith healings and leading Masses with spirited singing and clapping that lasted for hours, Rev. Oneko preached slowly in America, in his Kenyan accent : “Late us prrray.” Sometimes he spelled out words when he saw the congregation looking puzzled. “B-I-R-D, not B-E-D,” the newspaper wrote.
At home, in Kenya, Father Oneko had preached to rural Africans who walked for hours to get to church and would have been disappointed if the sermons were brief.
“Here the whole Mass is one hour,” he said, a broad smile on his round face. “That was homework for me, to learn to summarize everything and make the homily 10 minutes, maybe 15. Here, people are on the move very fast.”
Most of the African priests, it was learnt, arrive knowing how to celebrate Mass, anoint the sick and baptize babies. But few are prepared for the challenges of being a pastor in America
To help Rev. Oneko understand the American experience, a volunteer in the church had to give him a high school textbook on American history and government. In Kenya, Father Oneko became the sole pastor of 12 satellite parishes in an 80-mile stretch. He served more than 3,000 people communion on a typical weekend and ran a girls high school.
It was a hardship post. His car, the only one in the vicinity, was used as a school bus, an ambulance and, if the local officers caught a thief, a police car — with Father Oneko the driver.
In Kentucky, he stuck to the music the congregation was used to at the Saturday evening Mass, that meant a faint choir of three voices; at the 11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, an extended family of Filipinos played guitar and piano.
January 06, 2009 15:38
By Simon Ateba
A Nigerian catholic priest, who was recruited to fill empty pulpits in parishes across the United States of America, was sacked for being materialistic, The New York Times newspaper has said.
The U.S. influential newspaper reports that the Nigerian priest, whose names were not mentioned, was temporary recruited at the St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Owensboro, Western Kentucky, but was asked to go after he requested for three pairs of glasses. He was offered one for free.
“An American pastor said the Nigerian had seemed overly interested in material goods. When an ophthalmologist offered to fit him for glasses at no charge, he asked for three pairs” the newspaper reported.
Parishioners also complained that they could not understand his accent. PM.News could not establish where the Nigerian priest hails from in Nigeria. He was replaced by a Kenyan priest, Rev. Chrispin Oneko, whom the parishioners found to be different from the Nigerian.
“He listened and won people over with his humility. Where the Nigerian priest had taught the choir to sing African hymns, Father Oneko did not try to impose his worship style. And he learned to keep his sermons to no more than 15 minutes and the Masses to one hour.”
The Kenyan priest also had his trying times. The paper reports that after leading one of his first Sunday Masses at his new American parish, Rev. Oneko, was feeling content until he discovered several small notes left by his parishioners.
The notes, all anonymous, conveyed the same message: Father, please make your homilies shorter. One said even five minutes was too long for a mother with children.
One Sunday, after he opened his homily with a joke that fell flat, he said, “I know some of you are looking at your watches, so I’ll make it brief.”
Unlike in Kenya, where he had been a charismatic catholic, participating in faith healings and leading Masses with spirited singing and clapping that lasted for hours, Rev. Oneko preached slowly in America, in his Kenyan accent : “Late us prrray.” Sometimes he spelled out words when he saw the congregation looking puzzled. “B-I-R-D, not B-E-D,” the newspaper wrote.
At home, in Kenya, Father Oneko had preached to rural Africans who walked for hours to get to church and would have been disappointed if the sermons were brief.
“Here the whole Mass is one hour,” he said, a broad smile on his round face. “That was homework for me, to learn to summarize everything and make the homily 10 minutes, maybe 15. Here, people are on the move very fast.”
Most of the African priests, it was learnt, arrive knowing how to celebrate Mass, anoint the sick and baptize babies. But few are prepared for the challenges of being a pastor in America
To help Rev. Oneko understand the American experience, a volunteer in the church had to give him a high school textbook on American history and government. In Kenya, Father Oneko became the sole pastor of 12 satellite parishes in an 80-mile stretch. He served more than 3,000 people communion on a typical weekend and ran a girls high school.
It was a hardship post. His car, the only one in the vicinity, was used as a school bus, an ambulance and, if the local officers caught a thief, a police car — with Father Oneko the driver.
In Kentucky, he stuck to the music the congregation was used to at the Saturday evening Mass, that meant a faint choir of three voices; at the 11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, an extended family of Filipinos played guitar and piano.
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