The prophet, the act, the tabernacle: Pastor Christ, Anita and TB Joshua take centre Stage in the space of a week
One delicate issue to get involved with in any religious society is
religion. Even in the so call liberal society, it is a sacrilege.
Everyone has a belief system which is sacrosanct to him or her and thus
challenging such is fatal. It take superhuman courage to read a
religious piece which is not a piety from the pulpit and making comment
is even sacrilege to my community but in recent times, I have decided to
jump the shark. I have decided to explore, let people see me the way I
am, to know my weakness, my strength and where they can critic and offer
opinion. In time past I have played it so safe, not willing to commit
or make mistake but no more. I am willing to open myself up and when I
need to defend my stand I will, when I need to apologize I will and even
if it takes me decades to understand, I will apologize when I
understand.
When the news of Pastor Chris and Anita’s divorce filtered the airwaves, there were two categories of people very visible; the fanatical followers of the men of God and those ready to deride them as men of God. (It is no news to some as the divorce rumour has been on for a long time). Of course there were neutrals who don’t care what happens and there were those that were very concerned but do not belong to any the categories mentioned above. I cannot specifically place where I belong, however this is my take. I don’t do third party stuff or judgement because I don’t really know the news outlet to trust. Pastor Chris and Anita are public figure but the privacy of their marriage should be respected. No matter how piqued, angry and how much we like to detest them, they are mortals. No matter how anointed they are, they are mortals and that one of the party seek divorce or that they get it in the long run does not make them less of men of God to me or more of human. For those who deify these men of God we should take a cue; they maybe men of God but they are not immune to human tendencies. To communicate with God is spiritual, and to relate with man is more of social than spiritual. I however have a very acute observation; men of God in Nigeria place themselves in situations that make them unavailable for help. They simple know everything and our own society do not help. I read Pastor Chris comments on the divorce issue, I was not impressed. I think he needs help. Those who can pray should pray but he definitely needs help. We members of the church are a great burden too. We simply put them in God’s position. For those ready to threaten me with touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm, for your information, that part of the bible is not for the Levites alone but the whole Israel. There is no better system than that of check and balances; power corrupt and absolute power corrupt absolutely. Most human will abuse power when they have absolute authority.
Just like the case of Nigeria, one tragedy was not enough when people died in building collapse in the synagogue church of all Nation (some says it is the guest house belonging to the church that collapse). People critic and commented based on affiliation and relationship with the church (some fanatical followers and some deep haters) while some people still held their own high. However my submission is this. The case should be investigated and cause determined and the appropriate measure and solution proffered. When lives are involved in a situation, I often do not know where to start. My condolences to the families and friends of the deceased; May the souls of the departed RIP.
On a general note, we have witnessed many building collapse in Lagos to just assume these things are just coincidence, though there are the possibility of mild natural occurrence like tremor, landslide that can trigger the situation. However there are some very glaring evidences in the way infrastructures are erected in this part of the world which totally makes people, governments and professionals culpable. Accidents/incidents happen anywhere in the world but in our part of the world we don’t like investigating to determine if it was accident or incident. Are we really getting approval for buildings before erection? Do the government officials do their job in ensuring that buildings and structures are erected according to plan and locational condition? Are professionals really doing their jobs properly-to make structures safe for people’s habitation? Are we all just crazy about owning a house, structures, and building in negligence of our safety? The level to which to we cut corners, bypass rules and regulation, where standards can be subverted for money is catching up on all of us. The way structures are being erected with no regards for other factors is quite a nemesis which target victims at random. The more reason we need to put on our thinking cap as people and starts acting right. Anyone can be a victim because we have such situation in abundance around us. From my observation, there are little or no regards for such rules. People convert bungalow to one, two, three storey building with no structural adjustment to foundation and other infrastructure. Lagos requires a special attention for building and structure; it is a land mass partially submerged in water! There has been church boom for a very long time and the way churches expand building/structures/infrastructures with no regards for these factors are alarming. No coordination from government agencies as regards size, structure, capacity and social infrastructures that would support such building of public significance. According to El-Rufia, when he was Minister for federal Capital Territory (FCT), most of the illegal structures that belong to churches were the new generation Pentecostal churches. Most had no approved plan or competent professional to handle their building project and yet they gathered for Night vigil for God to kill or remove the man. Let us continue to pray and ignore the part we need to play. One vivid example I would like to use is that of redemption camp, along Lagos-Ibadan express road. A very massive ground that holds different meetings like the monthly Holy Ghost service, annual general convention where millions of people flock to worship God but alas due government negligence, those involved and crass ignorance, people’s lives; those involved in the convention and those not, are subject to undue hardship and danger. Yet there is a planned expansion of the convention ground to accommodate more people. The big question is; are there enough social infrastructures to cater for such expansion? What is being done by governments and people involved to make life easy for people on the days of those programs? Well someone would say this guy is an atheist and does not understand the power of God to bring order, but I have only seen disorderliness in such situation. My observation is not a technical review, those who know better can paint a picture better. If anyone thinks I have no big challenge to take to God, then the person must be kidding. Every Nigerian has a million reasons to be in such gathering but since I have become an adult and I make decision about where I go and when, I don’t visit any of such program. I attend their local churches but not those conventions because I have attended one or two as a teen and discovered the danger earlier on. I have a lot of dangers I am exposed to which I don’t know but I would definitely avoid the ones I know. A friend of mine recently confessed to me that they do lose people to serious outbreak of diseases in the convention of his church, I mean on annual basis and yet some people receive miracle but others meet their end and deformation. To make matter worse, there are many churches with conventions centres (MFM, Deeper Life etc.) along the Lagos Ibadan express road and since it is now a ‘faith expressway’ other religious group are pitching tents in the area. The worship centres are growing so is our ‘spirituality’ but our competence and ability to handle our own issues decline by the tones. Just like the song of the one time winner of Star Quest, ‘we would pray so taay panadol will start curing AIDS
When the news of Pastor Chris and Anita’s divorce filtered the airwaves, there were two categories of people very visible; the fanatical followers of the men of God and those ready to deride them as men of God. (It is no news to some as the divorce rumour has been on for a long time). Of course there were neutrals who don’t care what happens and there were those that were very concerned but do not belong to any the categories mentioned above. I cannot specifically place where I belong, however this is my take. I don’t do third party stuff or judgement because I don’t really know the news outlet to trust. Pastor Chris and Anita are public figure but the privacy of their marriage should be respected. No matter how piqued, angry and how much we like to detest them, they are mortals. No matter how anointed they are, they are mortals and that one of the party seek divorce or that they get it in the long run does not make them less of men of God to me or more of human. For those who deify these men of God we should take a cue; they maybe men of God but they are not immune to human tendencies. To communicate with God is spiritual, and to relate with man is more of social than spiritual. I however have a very acute observation; men of God in Nigeria place themselves in situations that make them unavailable for help. They simple know everything and our own society do not help. I read Pastor Chris comments on the divorce issue, I was not impressed. I think he needs help. Those who can pray should pray but he definitely needs help. We members of the church are a great burden too. We simply put them in God’s position. For those ready to threaten me with touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm, for your information, that part of the bible is not for the Levites alone but the whole Israel. There is no better system than that of check and balances; power corrupt and absolute power corrupt absolutely. Most human will abuse power when they have absolute authority.
Just like the case of Nigeria, one tragedy was not enough when people died in building collapse in the synagogue church of all Nation (some says it is the guest house belonging to the church that collapse). People critic and commented based on affiliation and relationship with the church (some fanatical followers and some deep haters) while some people still held their own high. However my submission is this. The case should be investigated and cause determined and the appropriate measure and solution proffered. When lives are involved in a situation, I often do not know where to start. My condolences to the families and friends of the deceased; May the souls of the departed RIP.
On a general note, we have witnessed many building collapse in Lagos to just assume these things are just coincidence, though there are the possibility of mild natural occurrence like tremor, landslide that can trigger the situation. However there are some very glaring evidences in the way infrastructures are erected in this part of the world which totally makes people, governments and professionals culpable. Accidents/incidents happen anywhere in the world but in our part of the world we don’t like investigating to determine if it was accident or incident. Are we really getting approval for buildings before erection? Do the government officials do their job in ensuring that buildings and structures are erected according to plan and locational condition? Are professionals really doing their jobs properly-to make structures safe for people’s habitation? Are we all just crazy about owning a house, structures, and building in negligence of our safety? The level to which to we cut corners, bypass rules and regulation, where standards can be subverted for money is catching up on all of us. The way structures are being erected with no regards for other factors is quite a nemesis which target victims at random. The more reason we need to put on our thinking cap as people and starts acting right. Anyone can be a victim because we have such situation in abundance around us. From my observation, there are little or no regards for such rules. People convert bungalow to one, two, three storey building with no structural adjustment to foundation and other infrastructure. Lagos requires a special attention for building and structure; it is a land mass partially submerged in water! There has been church boom for a very long time and the way churches expand building/structures/infrastructures with no regards for these factors are alarming. No coordination from government agencies as regards size, structure, capacity and social infrastructures that would support such building of public significance. According to El-Rufia, when he was Minister for federal Capital Territory (FCT), most of the illegal structures that belong to churches were the new generation Pentecostal churches. Most had no approved plan or competent professional to handle their building project and yet they gathered for Night vigil for God to kill or remove the man. Let us continue to pray and ignore the part we need to play. One vivid example I would like to use is that of redemption camp, along Lagos-Ibadan express road. A very massive ground that holds different meetings like the monthly Holy Ghost service, annual general convention where millions of people flock to worship God but alas due government negligence, those involved and crass ignorance, people’s lives; those involved in the convention and those not, are subject to undue hardship and danger. Yet there is a planned expansion of the convention ground to accommodate more people. The big question is; are there enough social infrastructures to cater for such expansion? What is being done by governments and people involved to make life easy for people on the days of those programs? Well someone would say this guy is an atheist and does not understand the power of God to bring order, but I have only seen disorderliness in such situation. My observation is not a technical review, those who know better can paint a picture better. If anyone thinks I have no big challenge to take to God, then the person must be kidding. Every Nigerian has a million reasons to be in such gathering but since I have become an adult and I make decision about where I go and when, I don’t visit any of such program. I attend their local churches but not those conventions because I have attended one or two as a teen and discovered the danger earlier on. I have a lot of dangers I am exposed to which I don’t know but I would definitely avoid the ones I know. A friend of mine recently confessed to me that they do lose people to serious outbreak of diseases in the convention of his church, I mean on annual basis and yet some people receive miracle but others meet their end and deformation. To make matter worse, there are many churches with conventions centres (MFM, Deeper Life etc.) along the Lagos Ibadan express road and since it is now a ‘faith expressway’ other religious group are pitching tents in the area. The worship centres are growing so is our ‘spirituality’ but our competence and ability to handle our own issues decline by the tones. Just like the song of the one time winner of Star Quest, ‘we would pray so taay panadol will start curing AIDS
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