Lord, We Need Revival To Defeat Mammon In Today's Church

By Dr. Segun ‘Tremendous’ Oshinaga.

“But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, FOR YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

Until the Church in Africa, nay Nigeria can possibly have this ‘Peter Attitude’ towards money, we are on a long thing.

Truth be told, the corruption within the Pentecostal body in Nigeria today is unprecedented. But it didn’t start today.

The seeds of this corruption was laid more than 30 years ago but we have seen it acquire a ‘larger - than - life’ image in the last 15,10 years. 

If we are not careful and unless the Lord of the harvest intervenes, we have not seen the end of it. Celebrity Pastor/Bishop/Apostle is the desire of many and they don’t lack for models. Everybody is now a Bishop or Archbishop. 

Lately, we are seeing some calling themselves Cardinals. I know, at least three. When the Cardinal space gets crowded, as I’m sure it will be soon, we will start having Popes. Pentecostal Popes! We will rival the Catholic Church in all her glory.

This craze for ‘titles and treasures’ is only a symptom of a deeper and serious malaise - emptiness of the spirit and the increasing need to fill the void with a bang. 

Simon the Sorcerer is running wild across African countries. As I travel through West, South and East Africa in the last one year, it became clear to me that the ‘god’ called greed is running riot through the Church. 

We erroneously call it revival. No sir! No mam! This is not revival. Men of God are competing with celebrities and politicians on who is wealthier or more popular. It’s only proof the decay and rot in the body of Christ is deeper than we know.

What is worse is that, many of our preachers now dabble in the occult. Many are known to belong to secret cults, Freemasonry and others. 

No wonder their ‘results’ are flashy. I call them ‘Pentecostal Babalawos’. The ‘rituals’ that some perform give them away. It takes deep discernment to figure them out. Their ‘Pentecostal legalese’ deceive some ‘Very Elect.’

We can bury our heads in the sand but it’s an open secret that we stink to the high heavens. It’s time to repent and get back to serving God in ‘spirit and truth.’

The missionaries who brought schools and health centers to Africa at the turn of the century literally gave their lives to educate our parents. It was the ‘gospel of sacrifice’ that gave us this ‘heritage of faith’ that we now desecrate with lasciviousness and insatiable greed for materialism. They were rich because they made many rich. Today, our religious celebrities are rich by making many poor. 

Our religious elites have become indistinguishable from our political elites. Same spirit of greed is discern able from the two classes. We have therefore raised a generation of ‘needy’ believers whose hunger is for material blessings and success. They have been raised on a diet of prosperity gospel.

Our Pentecostal leaders need to read this again and and again

“So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. 

When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.” 2 Timothy 2:1-7 (MSG)

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Dr. Segun Tremendous Oshinaga is the President of Inspirational Global Network, an Evangelistic Team that have been rocking every nook and cranny in Africa with the undiluted Gospel of Christ. He is a tremendous Teacher of God's Word and Mentor to several leaders globally.

Church Celebrities Versus The Gospel of Salvation.

By Ninyo Omidiji

I am not a fan of any celebrity religious leader. I am not, because I do not believe that Jesus went to the cross for you and I in order to make celebrities of us. 

Check out His life and ministry and that of His apostles and you will not see anything suggesting that they promoted a celebrity lifestyle. No doubts they were impactful in their own ways but they weren't celebrities. You don't have to be a celebrity to live a life of impact. 

Strictly speaking, a celebrity is someone who is famous in the entertainment business. A celebrity is loved by the world because the world loves entertainment. In other words, unless a preacher has turned to an entertainer of some sort, it is unlikely he turns out a celebrity. The word "celebrity-preacher" in itself is self-contradictory. 

Friends, being a celebrity is the way of the world, not the way of the kingdom. The lot or the portion of the believer in Christ is to be hated and persecuted by the world around them. This has not changed. This will never change. 

Jesus said:

Matthew 24:9 NKJV 

[9] “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 

Jesus was not a celebrity. But the present-day church system preaches and promotes a  celebrity Jesus. They preach another Jesus. This is why the gospel that they preach is alien to what the early church preached. 

Jesus was self-confessed that the world hated Him. While He was preparing His disciples for things to come, in John 15:18-20 NKJV, Jesus said to them:

[18] “If the world hates you, you know that IT HATED ME before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 

But nowadays, we have young preachers whose vested interest in ministry is to become famous and wealthy. They want to become celebrities. They use their pulpits to promote this ambition. They sell the same idea to their listeners. 

And from where did they get this notion? It's from the people that they call faithers-in-the-faith. These so-called fathers have modelled wealth, fame and the celebrity lifestyle as rewards of their ministry and these young preachers are hooked like someone who is hooked on hard drúgs. 

This is why I am convinced that one of the biggest Satanic onslaughts against the church is the wide acceptance of what is considered the "prosperity gospel" into her fold. It is the biggest promoter of the lust for fame, power and wealth among churchgoers. It is the undercover operation of the spirit of the world inside what is called the church of today. Satan knew it would be tough to drag the church into the world so he deceptively dragged the world into the church and got zealots to promote it. 

When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he showed Him all the glories of this world and promised to give them to Him if only Jesus would bow to him. But what Jesus rejected from satan has become what preachers promote today. Can't you see it? 

In one of his epistles, John wrote:

I John 2:15-16 NKJV

[15] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." 

Friends, I am convinced that no celebrity preacher is serving Christ. He is serving his lust and he is polluting  and corrupting the lives of the younger generation and weakening their genuine faith in the Lord.  

No genuine servant of Christ will use the promise of the glories of this world as the reason to come to God through Christ Jesus. No genuine servant of God will bait you with the promise of fame and wealth. 

I will keep harping on this same thing, as I have done for a couple of years, in hopes that one or two persons who are "in the valley of decision, as I was years ago, will read and get delivered from the trap and deception of satan that is carefully camouflaged as church of today. *****************************************

Ninyo Omidiji is a medical doctor from Nigeria, a hardline gospeller, teacher, father and a devoted husband. 

Strategies needed to grow a new Ministry - Compiled by Dave Omokhodion

Answering God's Call to start a ministry is as difficult as climbing mount Ararat. The beginning is not bread and butter at all. Many who had done it without proper  planning has a lot of tales to tell.

However this is not to say that it can not be possible. One good thing to always have in mind is that the God who gave the Vision can also work out the mission.

When you want to embark on this journey there are some effective ways you need in order to succeed.

1. You must have a Clear Vision and Mission. Define your purpose, values, and objectives.

2. You will need Prayer and Spiritual Foundation. Establish a strong prayer culture and spiritual foundation.

3. You must engage in Leadership Development. Invest in leadership training and development.

13 Ways you can 'magically' attract people to your church and also keep them

4. You must reach out to your environment or Community. Build relationships with the local community through outreach and service.

5. You need Followers and the zeal to mentor them. Foster a culture of discipleship and mentorship.

6. You need to skillfully Communicate with your audiences. Utilize various communication channels to reach your audience.

7. Have Strategic Partnerships. Collaborate with other ministries and organizations.

8. Engage in Innovative Outreach. Use creative methods to share the Gospel.

9. Have Worship and Fellowship hours that are always inspiring. Foster a vibrant worship and fellowship culture.

10. Like a secular business try to always evaluate and Improve on your services. Regularly assess and improve your ministry's effectiveness.

11. Employ technology and Social Media to deliver your message. Leverage technology and social media to expand your reach.

12. Try to develop and invest in Youth and Children's Ministry. Invest in the next generation through youth and children's programs.

13. Set up small groups and Bible Studies. Encourage spiritual growth through small groups and Bible studies.

14. Involve regularly on evangelism and outreach training. Equip members with evangelism and outreach skills.

15. Care and support your members. Provide pastoral care and support for members.

16. Be prudent in Financial management. Practice good financial management and stewardship.

17. Encourage members to serve as volunteer. Encourage and empower volunteers to serve.

18. Make your ministry to be culturally relevant. Contextualize your ministry to reach your local culture.

19. Don't stay alone, unite and collaborate with churches and ministries around you. Foster unity and collaboration with other churches and ministries.

20. Fully depend on God because He sent you. Recognize your dependence on God and seek His guidance and wisdom always.

Remember, growing a ministry takes time, effort, and dedication. Focus on building a strong spiritual foundation, and God will bless your efforts.

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