The devil is on rampage; in a titanic battle in these last days. Terrible things are happening on some supposed altars of God. Jealousy and envy, greed and selfishness; avarice, lust and all manner of debauchery and immorality have crept into the church and taken centre stage.
Of course, these are undeniable truths but the church is still marching on. It is also a human organisation and, in Nigeria, everything is rotten.
Just recently, a friend of mine showed me a picture, depicting our Nigerianness. There was a burning mosquito coil, yet the mosquitoes it was supposed to repel perched on it comfortably. The church in Nigeria as in other lands is not exempt from the corrosion of this age. However, if any agent of satan thinks he can nail the church because of activities of certain interlopers, sorry is their name.
So many unsavoury schemes have been woven around the church and some of its ministers by the desperate souls, fighting most brazenly to paint the church with tar.
Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries has of late become a victim of such vicious schemes. I have never met Suleman save on his Celebration TV channel. Honestly, I look forward to meeting with him physically someday. Suleman comes to me as a vibrant, dynamic servant of God. He comes to me as dedicated, anointed and charismatic. He comes to me as kind and generous, considering his works of charity. But then, I talk as a man, not Spirit. I leave the things of the Spirit for the Spirit. I didn’t call him and I have no worthy credentials to judge another man’s servant. It does not make sense to me to meddle in a matter that does not concern me. How could a staff of NNPC dictate to NAFDAC staff how to run their affairs.
Pastors are human and vulnerable too; we all have our foibles. Nobody is an angel; angels are not on the earth but in heaven. People are looking for saints in the Church whereas they are demons themselves.
It is time we learned to mind our businesses and allow people lead their lives as they want. Surely, pastoral work is expected to hold the torch of truth and point the way for sinners. However, it is still possible that after showing people the way, some pastors, God forbid, may unfortunately miss out. Was it not the fear Paul expressed (1 Corinthians 9:27)and prayed not to save others but end up a castaway?
I use Suleman to typify the travails of the church and its ministers. I use him to deplore the many satanic contrived rubbish spewed on the church and its ministers.
We are also deficient in our definition or understanding of church or pastor. Shakespeare wrote that a rose by any other name could smell as sweet. So, what if the wizard troubling your community repaints his coven and calls it a church where he ministers as a ‘pastor’; does that make him one? It is, therefore, absolutely wrong to run down the church or true servants of God because of activities of charlatans and hirelings of satan.
Nevertheless, let me also point out that I don’t hold briefs for pastors; they must live above board. I am more concerned about the church. It is my informed opinion that as many that bandy the name of Christ in vain shall meet a sordid end; that is what the scripture says.
I will also point out that our expectations of these pastors are often Utopian. Why would I expect Suleman to do what I cannot do myself? You would be fast to say because he is a man of God. So what? Are you a man of satan? Is heaven or hell meant for only pastors?
Suleman is on the bad spot because, perhaps, satan has seen something in him he wants to destroy. I pray the devil will keep failing. Satan’s chief desire is to prevail against the gate of the church but that’s madness; he can’t.
Check this laughable plot. A lady purportedly had sex with Suleman, snaps the ‘cleric’s’ staff of office (apologies Madam Funke) and without shame, spills the encounter on public sphere. She had never had any issue with Suleman; like the man didn’t pay her for services rendered or something. So, what is her motivation for going public with such sordid immoral act? Nobody bothered to ask even when she recanted and apologised and was forgiven; then diehard satanists alleged kidnap.
A man has issues with his wife and alleges that Suleman had taken over his wife, as if he was unaware of Suleman’s exceptionally beautiful wife.
Now a self-confessed hooker comes up to claim two love trysts with this same Suleman and the society swallowed the toxic concoction with glee. Haba!
When did prostitution become honourable as to warrant attention? Even if this whore was pimped for Suleman as she claimed, has his anointed holy water washed away the stains of her disreputable life and passed it on to Suleman? And, by the way, why is Suleman so important? What tales has she told about the very many derailed men that had accessed her jaded and blackened pot of bile?
Because Suleman must be destroyed. Because the body of Christ must be ridiculed. However, the Lord is laughing at the heathen and their antics of kicking against the bricks. Nobody can carry the earth!
It is noteworthy that Suleman ran into trouble only when he voiced out against the atrocities in the land. Since then, it has been one trouble or another. I don’t expect him to whittle anyway. He needs to remain strong and do exploits as long as he knows his God. He should also do everything to steer clear of controversy because whatever he does is meat for the public, good or bad. It would be bad PR for the church if he does particularly bad ones.
The Bible, in the book of Acts, recorded an incident at a gate called beautiful. Ironically, there was a deplorable sight at the Beautiful Gate, a desecration of sorts. That was an unlikely place to beg. Imagine a beggar at the gilded entrance to the Lord’s cathedral. It was the devil that planted it there to cast a slur on the church. It was such an eyesore but thanks to the grace Peter carried; he got rid of the mess before entering the temple.
Let all join to rid the church of scum and distractions, self-made and orchestrated. What does one make of the tale that pastors offered women to some guest ministers as kola, and it is a ‘pastor’ that splashed that asininity in public. So that the world would hail him, perhaps. Haba!
You see what I mean? Is this tale-bearer truly a pastor or an agent sent to rubbish the church? What did he expect to gain from the indecent exposure? Let us concede to him that his tale by moonlight is true, did he ever follow laid-down biblical principles and confront the sinful pastors and counsel them? Okay, maybe he did and they didn’t listen to him; did he approach the PFN or CAN to intervene? How about going on a retreat and intercession prayer for them? Did he weigh the implications of his claims upon the church? God, have mercy!
Actions like this embolden ashawo to point ugly fingers at God’s anointed; actions like this scatter the flock of Christ. If this man were truly what he says he is, a pastor, he should have known better that self-serving actions like this close the door against new converts and hinder church growth.
The Beautiful Gate of the church has been desecrated by both the enemy and members. This has reduced the lion to a minion. But the church MUST bounce back and take its pride of place. Where are the Peters of this generation? They must arise to remove this desecration so that the church can ‘stand and walk’ in the name of Jesus.