Originally the church is not a building but a local congregation of Christians . . . Christ followers with Christ-like qualities . . . entry is by confession of Christ . . . a believer who is in a state of innocence. A state of being in the right with God. A place where God is represented by its leader as a genuine example . . . meaning he must have Christ-like qualities obvious to all and his calling must never be in doubt that if there is need he is even ready to die for the sheep, just as Christ did. He has to be a man God has placed a demand on, who has been created for that purpose . . . the purpose of returning men to God, one who at no time will have negotiation with the Devil and its agents. But today, what do we see?

We see a dead church where the leader is not called by God. He was called by his stomach. After running through lots of evil thoughts on how to make it in a godless society, he concluted calling a friend or two, his co-tricksters, and they donated the amount for accommodation and immediately shared positions as Senior Pastor, Pastor and Assistant Pastor and immediately a business church kicks off. Only selected portions of the Bible are agreed to be preached. The one on tithes and offerings tops the list. Give and it shall be given unto you becomes a daily song. This group of pastors, evangelists, etc, cares for money more than anything. If you are not a giver in the church, you are frustrated out immediately. Mind you, they are not givers; they only preach it, with tears in their eyes. They sound very emotional, they even tell you to borrow and bring to church, which is not Biblical. Their target from the beginning is to be billionaires, so if anyone in need shows up, their bank accounts are out of the question, they ask the person to come back later and they task the members to donate a pittance for the man – that is if the person is favoured at all. The tithes and offerings are always misused. They build uncountable mansions, buy very expensive cars, jets, and have many secret wives. Hell is waiting for such people.

The most dangerous thing a man can do is to attract God’s anger through deception. It is only in a dead church that they pick calls when the service is going on. It is in a dead church that a pastor plays God. About a year and half ago, I had a cause to visit a church in Ajangbadi area of Lagos and what I observed saddened me greatly. While I and my husband were in the church waiting for the Pastor, people including the Assistant Pastor, started running out of the church. The way it happened, I had to rush to a man that was close to where I was and after inquiries I was told that the Pastor and his wife just arrived and that happens to be how they receive them. Just imagine it!

It is only in a dead church that a pastor comes and starts demanding compulsory donations of a number of cars for his carnal use, gives as gifts to his family members, concubines, etc, rather than using it for God’s work. A pastor in Festac did that till a member used the police to arrest him. Anytime such men run out of cars, all they do is to tell their members to donate compulsorily.

Since such men are not called, little wonder they don’t preach salvation. They are not interested in repentance, so they don’t preach it. The day a guest minister centres on repentance and holiness, that is the end of his visit. This group of pastors has chains of girl friends all over the place. They are free to embrace even married women . . . transfer of anointing they call it. Their God is their belly. Since they know that soon their nakedness will be exposed, they preach against other churches so that they will not lose their brainwashed followers. They discourage their members giving to outsiders. Preaching against fornication and adultery is a taboo. They are guilty so needless preaching it. Moreover, they are targeting more women. They exhibit pride. They look down on the poor ones that have nothing for them; in fact, they preach against them and most times such members backslide or leave for other churches. They get richer and their members get poorer . . . prosperity preachers or robbers in the house of God? They are everywhere . . . look around you. The judgement of God is coming on this set of people – just wait and see!

Since they lack the spirit of God, they see no vision but forcefully prophesies lies . . . everyday they tell you “thus says the Lord.” . . . Lies, lies . . . their day is coming. They deceive and many are foolishly attracted – they too are not ready to serve God, so they easily believe lies. Formerly the church was your person but today the church is the building and that is why the pastors preach that you don’t belong in oneness with a person outside your building. The spirit of error has set in.

These satanic pastors introduce strange deliverance which includes breast touching and hugging. I attended a vigil where the female pastor uses her breasts for deliverance. I was amazed as she pressed her breasts on the chest of the man during deliverance. Many are still practising deliverance like native doctors. A lady brought her baby for dedication. Despite all the gifts she brought, the prophet still told her in front of everyone that she should bring a generator to the church at the end of the month to represent the light of the baby’s life and that if she did not have money, she should borrow. He did not stop there but went on to say to those who were waiting to see him that they should hold money. I was shocked beyond words. Most times ungodly levies are introduced in the church, for example battle-fighting offering. It is not Biblical. These evil leaders smile to the bank, forgetting that they will surely reap their evil soon . . . miserable leaders indeed. They claim the anointing they don’t have.

Most members, too, are not interested to serve God in spirit and in truth. That is why you see high service, gossip, loose dressing, fornication and adultery in the church; female members in trousers and miniskirts, etc. Many women go to such dead churches to lure their unserious pastors to bed: Partners in sin all in the dead church. Please don’t forget, no evil doer will go unpunished. (Hebr. 9:27)

If you are testifying about God’s goodness in your life and you did not mention their names, they will stop your testimony, but for those that will make a reference to him, you are given more than enough time to testify . . . These are the ones providing back-to-sender creams and perfumes for their members and their members buy. Maybe a day will come when they will produce a cream for those who will enter heaven, and many blind followers will buy them – God help us! While it’s offering time, they tell their members to bring fat offerings and ask them to wave the offerings for all to see in order to discourage little offerings, with the pastor keenly watching to see those who will wave a small denomination. Please, emulate churches where things are done decently, and in order.

In today’s world, there are many ungodly followers and leaders everywhere. It is only in a dead church that the leader is always surrounded by bodyguards because he has so many enemies; he has cheated so many people, especially on his way up and so he needs so many guards. They over-task their members financially in other to open uncountable branches. Expansion of churches without real believers. Even if an armed robber comes to the church in an expensive car the pastors get highly interested; they give him an undeserved attention and even where it is possible they are ready to make him a co-pastor. They serve money, not God. Today, we have forgotten that we are the church. We are God’s temple. When you defile your bodies, the holy spirit will not stay in you. In a dead church, a female pastor comes out half naked to minister to an audience busy staring at her open breasts and excess makeup; having the appearance of a person in showbiz than a pastor.

Galatians 5:19 says: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious . . . sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like, I warn you as I did in time before, that they who live like this, will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Fellow believers, Ezekiel 34:8 and 9 says: “As I live, saith the Lord, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not my flock. I will require my flock at their hand, I will deliver my flock from their hands.”

In Jeremiah 23:1 and 2, the message is: “Woe be unto the pastors that destroys and scatter the sheep of my pasture saith the Lord God of Israel, against the pastors that feed my sheep, ye have scattered my flock., and driven them away and have not visited them. Behold I will visit upon you the evil of your doings.” Verse 12: “Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness, they shall be driven on, and fall therein, for I will bring evil upon them.” Verse 32: “Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness, yet sent them not, nor commanded them. Therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.” Verse 40: “I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgiven.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 to 14 says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God, and keep His commandments, for that is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Please join me to pray for the resurrection of our churches. Some are alive but very few. May the mercy of God abide in us as we repent from our sins in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

•Pastor Lovina Amangala Iburene, whose photo appears alongside this piece, is of The Truth Ministry, Lagos.

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