THE POWER BEHIND MINISTERIAL SCANDALS
There are questions we must find answers to. Why should a preacher of holiness fall into sin? Why should a fiery preacher degenerate so low as to become a slave to immorality? What went wrong with some of America’s finest preachers? Why were they caught in the web of adultery. fornication and homosexuality?
This reminds me of an international preacher who held crusade audiences spell bound with his captivating messages. He can sing and inspire you to shed tears as he takes you to the highest level of worship. Before he fell, he was everywhere preaching powerfully and declaring the truth of God’s word. He was reputed to have the ability to preach to a dog and make it forgo its dinner. Little did people know that after conducting crusades every night he would go back to his hotel room and pay a whore to strip naked for him.
If you are shocked by the example given above, what about the story of a man of God who saw heaven at age fourteen. His spectacular vision was documented in his book. The book has changed many lives. He did not stop there. He also authored a list of best sellers. His Bible school was rated as one of the best Bible schools in the Pentecostal tradition. Perhaps, if he had been caught in fornication the public would have forgiven him. People were shocked when it was revealed that he was involved in homosexuality; having immorality with his youth pastor! Why did a powerful revivalist descend so low as to have immorality with a fellow man? What went wrong?
If the examples of frontline American preachers appear remote, let me share the sad story of one of Nigeria’s most anointed prophets with you. Of course, the name may not ring a bell except you are a researcher or a serious student of Pentecostalism in Nigeria. Prophet Omotunde held sway as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in the thirties. He ministered in an unprecedented manner between 1930-1950.
Prophet Omotunde was so anointed and gifted that the respected apostle, J. A Babalola called him “Master”. Omotunde was so highly anointed that you could only attend his crusade and go home with your sickness if he was not able to make body contact with you. He could spend several hours praying for the sick and the afflicted. He often prayed to a point he had to be carried away from the crusade field as a result of physical exhaustion.
In those days, Omotunde would lay hands on a mad fellow, and a live lizard would jump out. Of course, the man would become sane instantly. Years later, Omotunde went deep Into the world and lost his ministry. By the time .he died, there was neither a believer nor a pastor at his burial. He died a chronic sinner and backslider!
A PERTINENT QUESTION
Why should anyone attain great heights spiritually and crash shamefully? Do you know that if a lizard falls from a skyscraper it will survive? But if an elephant falls from the same height it will scatter to pieces and the news will hit the headlines!
The devil is not interested in seeing lizards fall from great heights. What catches the fancy of the devil is the crash of elephants! The devil will rather trail a powerful man of God for twenty years and wait patiently until he crashes than witness the fall of one hundred ordinary people in one day. My prayer for you is that the powers that are pursuing your ministerial destiny shall be disgraced and destroyed in Jesus name!
Why should ministers of the gospel who have tasted of the powers of
God become suddenly lukewarm and fall from such a great height?
EMPTY BARRELS?
Recently I was invited as guest speaker to an international Christian conference. There were participants and dignitaries from all over the world. Major continents of the world were represented. The unique thing about the conference was that there was a high table which seated celebrities and VIP’s. Each dignitary on the high table was introduced impressively and given rounds of applause. The introduction was so intimidating that I felt I was the only ordinary person on the high table. I knew that I was given a place on the high table because I was the guest speaker.
When I was called upon to preach, the Lord gave me a strange message: “Son, there is an homosexual on this table. If he does not repent, my angel will strike him dead,” I struggled with the message. I wondered how I could pass such a prophetic message in an international Christian conference of that calibre. I tried to argue with the Lord. “lord, you know that this type of message is hard to deliver? Who will believe me?” The Lord said” “Son, you’d better deliver the message fast!”
I knew that I had no option than to obey. So, I declared “There is someone here on the high table. You are a homosexual. The Lord will strike you dead if you fail to repent”. There was pin drop silence everywhere. I started with the opening prayer which I tried to make fairly long just in case they would order me to be marched away from the pulpit. As I prayed, I heard movements, dragging of chairs at the high table and shuffling of feet. By the time I concluded the opening prayers and opened my eyes, there was not a single soul on the high table except me. The high and the mighty had deserted the table!
I wondered why in spite of the Christian credentials and impressive secular records the people who were honored and placed on the high table, were all homosexuals or lesbians. In a Christian gathering? I was shocked to the marrows. Why should believers who are respected descend so low as to continue to practise homosexuality or lesbianism? May God deliver us!
A SCANDALOUS DEMOTION
I knew a church in England when I was doing my doctorate degree. The church was almost dead until a black bus driver took over. He came in with unusual zeal and commitment to evangelism. A wave of revival blew into the church and there were great transformations.
The bus driver became a mighty instrument in the hand of God. The church grew by leaps and bounds. Within a short time, the church became an international Christian centre. A lot of money came into the church and the bus-driver-turned preacher was riding one of the most expensive cars in the United Kingdom. The bus driver’s wife and daughters also became pastors in the church. The church secured a unique place on the map of the world.
More than 15 years later, a can of worms was opened. Five ladies showed up leveling allegations of rape against the pastor. It became a scandal. The case came up in the court. Initially, the pastor thought it was a joke and felt that he would escape being put behind bars. The judge came up with a judgment; the church was closed down and the pastor was sentenced to serve a jail term. Clause was added to” the jail term: The” pastor was barred from counselling ladies in his life time even when he is out of jail. That was how the devil succeeded in sending the black preacher back to square one. What a diversion of destiny!!
I got so disturbed in view of the multiplicity of scandalous episodes in the ministry that I prayed until the Lord showed me the panacea for this hydra-headed problem in christendom. The Lord spoke to me saying; Son, pastors and ministers need foundational deliverance.
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