I was asked in a recent interview what I blog about. My response: Whatever is trending on my mind at the moment.
In that respect, what has been trending on my mind and my Facebook newsfeed off and on for quite some time now is the ever-reawakening case of the Nigerian Prophet T.B Joshua.
You cannot be Cameroonian and not know of Prophet T. B. Every time you enter a taxi his and outstretched palm is displayed on a sticker with the message “Let Love Lead”. A very nice message we would all agree. Most times you will enter a salon, restaurant, or even the self proclaimed Christian Clinics and see his channel Emmanuel TV on, or you may know any one of the many Cameroonians are traveling all the way to Lagos in a bid to see him As result of popularity this prophet is under a ton of scrutiny. And deservedly so considering the many who equate him with the Pope (or higher given the fact that the Pope is not known to cure Diabetes as of yet).
They say he has powers, they say he is generous; they say he is a godsend…Now, I’m not here to say he isn’t any of these, I’ll leave it to you to you to decide what you would believe. But these are my musings and I’ll like to share here are 7 reasons I’m not “Here” for TB
However I do not blame the person who began this rumor as a joke. When did God start sending game scores as a message to his people? I find it very VERY difficult to believe God had EVER lacked a message to send into the world that He would choose to send us predictions on a pop culture sport (http://thetbjoshuafanclub.wordpress.com/tag/football-prophecy/). I mean there must have been some child dying of Leukemia who need a prophecy of the right person to appeal to for a bone marrow transplant right?
2- Secondly I am a firm believer in the verse “what your right hand gives your left hand should not know about” (Mathew 6:1-3). Permit me break interpret this scriptural verse for TB? What you put in a sealed brown envelope should not be written out and announced to all and sundry. That to me is NOT generosity, at least not Christian generosity. It is rather similar to IMF aid :/
3- I believe God gave us brains to use them. Let me expatiate: Believing in God and having faith does not cancel out use of reason. Yes I believe in miracles. Yes I believe God can use people to heal. I also believe those people could be doctors he called to service. I also believe when Ben Carson discovered a way to divide those Siamese Twins God used him to perform a miracle. The twins’ parents may have prayed, they may have gone to church and fellow-shipped yes, but I logically believe that God has given us instruments for healing a.k.a doctors, hospitals, modern medicine. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying another Christian cannot pray for you and you get healed. I’m just saying don’t skip out of the hospital with HIV results and go for healing in church when God has already provided healing in the form of ART in a clinic near you…
4- I believe there is more to salvation than a miracle market. If you have ever watched Emmanuel TV on a Sunday this does not need explaining.
5- I believe in humility, this does not involve naming yourself a prophet or “Man of God” in my book. It does not involve having an advert putting your framed photo at the end of a long line of framed pictures of apostles (yours being larger) thereby insinuating in advertising dialect that you are equal or greater than the apostles before you eh? Moreover while I agree people may regard you as a prophet I think you cheapen it by attaching it to your name like a credential e.g Evang. Mark Azinwi, Prophet of the Lord.
6- I believe in logic. That is;
a. You do not teach people to be “Wise Men” or Prophets, so all those underlings are? In my rationality (which I acknowledge may be faulty) being a prophet is a calling, a gift, and not something to be learned. Just as I would criticize Pastor Chris for attempting to teach people how to speak in Tongues. I mean really?!!! Someone needs to re-read 1 Corinthians 12
b. In that line of logic, I reason that a “Man of God” owning the great expanse of property As TB does, and regularly dishing out hundreds of thousands of Naira should have a job eh? Else where’s the source of income. One school of thought says his church generates it, to that I reply: “I thought churches were meant to be the “original” not-for-profits?” And when another school of thought says it comes from donations of followers to which I reply: “So he isn’t really being generous then because it’s not his right, he’s just redistributing as he wills?”
c. In the same line of logic I inquire on things which in my opinion (which again I acknowledge may be faulty) are meant to be private being publicized. Yes, I understand the goal of trying to get non-believers to see God’s power, but hmm even Jesus said “go and tell no one I healed you. What is it with the advertising of miracles as though it were a commercial product almost 24 hours of each day?
d. Finally my mind, heart and spirit oppose the trend of marketing “Holy Water” (be it directly or not) I mean isn’t that equivalent to selling blessings? I went to a Catholic mission school growing up and holy water is at the entrance of the church there for all who want to bottle and take home. I am flummoxed at the way SCOAN bottles holy water in commercialized packets and “gives away” as “dash” depending on membership status and whether or not you buy a frame of the “prophets’” face (http://tbjoshuawatch.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/tb-joshuas-anointed-water/). More baffling is the fact that according to this church Holy Water can have “new improved” versions and be upgraded like an iphone. One of the main criticisms of the Catholic Church has been its idolizing through figurines and other monuments. Considering that all Pentecostal churches stem from the historical opposition of the Catholic church you would think they would differ in this.
7- Finally I’m not “here” for TB because I don’t appreciate the way his mission makes God little more than a problem solver. Church was meant for fellowship, for preaching the gospel for spreading the word. Not merely for testimonies and prophecies and signs and wonders and orchestrated choir shows and casting out of demons no matter how entertaining they might be. While TB is busy exemplifying all the spiritual gifts from speaking in tongues to casting out of demons, he forgot the most important one is “following the way” (1 Corinthians 12:31)
So no, I’m not a fan of TB. But no, I’m not saying you should follow me, I’m just stating what’s on my mind as Musings is meant for…This is my opinion, I’m not doing converting into the Anti-TB Party. I just implore you to reason, tease your brain and wonder along with me.
Some of us are scared to wonder. We have been trained to “say nothing against a prophet of the Lord”. Yet I believe such teaching speaks of fear and as the bible says: “Perfect love casts out all fear. So why not wonder? Job questioned God, David dared God, and Jacob “fought” God. If on Judgment Day God asks me why I doubted TB I’ll answer “Lord you said I should be as humble as a dove and quick as a serpent” the serpentine wit just couldn’t believe that guy”.
Before I end this I just want to note, this is NOT a rant. I purposefully wrote this in as calm a time as possible. I have not called TB any names (no matter how sorely tempted) rather I have brought out flaws in his mission which go against certain Christian teachings and generally turn me off. For instance I have not said “his prophecies are fake” but that “I don’t think God ever lacked messages to send us, that HE would send predictions on a football match”. So to all those who read this and feel they need to support him, please do so in a non-ranting manner and as logically as possible. And to all the non-Christians who feel a need to jeer along with this. Note, I am a Christian, a tolerant one and (I like to think) a rational one, but a Christian nonetheless kindly respect my beliefs.
To conclude, I know many may quote the passage where Jesus says “If He isn’t against me he is for me” while referring to a fake prophet, but I think we should know that the passive way we deal with “prophets” who are dubious in action serves to degrade our religion to non-Christians. I mean what respect would an atheist have for the Christian faith when they here of the Pastor in Kenya who told his followers to eat grass while someone stood by taking photos? Or the Pastor in Ghana who told his female parish members to come to church with no underwear? We cheapen our faith when we refuse to call out these people out. When we give them “revered” status just because they decided one bright morning that they could affix Evang. Or Bishop to their names. A few days ago I saw this photo of this website calling children to salvation by offering them Playstation 3’s.
Obviously eternal life is not as appealing as a Ps3. Most Christians will pass that by and go one to post some godly verse on their status. NO. Call it out, when you see something wrong in the church call it out. If you don’t because you think you should not criticize “Men of God” or Christian doctrine, you are being hypocritical. Period.
12 Comments
Great write up, love every phrase of it! Like it is said in french, j'aime la forme et le fond. U go girl
You are great thinker Monique ! Our people are dying for lack of knowledge, being manipulated by the so called false prophets who are there to make and extort unscrupulously money from their faithful. Thank God, we also have people who can really do what the prophets of old did, warn the faithful against false prophets, to denounce the injustice of false prophets. Keep up ! Hope many people could be at least critical when they embrace such "silly" and unfounded declarations from such prophets. Well, I know our people are being brain- washed due to the abject poverty which they have been subjected to since the last 32 years ! You see what I mean !
Moi-meme je wanda depuis!
Great write up Monique. I love the objectivity with which you approached this and I am so in agreement with you. Men of God huh? Please!
Keep the Musings coming enjoying them.
very interesting write up, goes with my thinking, keep it up
Excellent! and thank you for writing this Monique.
Hello Madam, God loves each and everyone of us. The most important thing in life is not writing about TB Joshua, but believing in the Lord Jesus Christ I mean having the spiritual experience called 'born again'. Personally my Christian experience has been deepened by the ministry of TB Joshua, by watching Emmanuel Tv. A toad may not really understand that there is another state of water until it experiences it. No amount of explanation or convincing will make it to understand it. For your information I belong to a Pentecostal church. I even called TB Joshua 'Synagogue of Satan' in the past based on what people were saying and then I thought I knew God better. People will clap and hail our writing prowess on the internet but they will not help us when we are called upon to answer before God what we did with our talent.
complete rubbish post
Whoa…a rational paysan. You and I will get along.
its desperation that drives many to believe in pastors more than they do in God. Many are being played for their hard-earned money and they don't even know about it. Tithing has been made to be an obligation of one needs "blessings" or "prophesy" from the "man of God". This only puts you on the attention list of the said prophet, again depending on the size of your tithe. People read your bible, listen to the word of God, use it in your life and you will do more to yourself than you expect the pastors to do for you.
HELLO EVERYONE OUT THERE
HOW I WAS HEALED BY PROPHET TB JOSHUA HE SEND ME HIS ANOINTING WATER HE INSTRUCTED ME ON HOW TO GO ABOUT IT AND I DID SO THERE IS NOTHING GOD CANNOT DO I THOUGHT I WILL REMAIN SICK FOREVER BEFORE ALMIGHTY GOD SAVE ME AND WIPE MY TEARS
my name is Helen Asmund from Canada, the greatest testimony i have ever seen in my life i want to use this great opportunity to thank prophet Tb Joshua the man of God.i was having a breast cancer over 5months, everyone around me run away from me even my husband who i think he loves me so much told me is over i cried and cried no body could help me out i went to the best hospital in Canada no solution, all hope was lost, on one faithful day as i was going online i saw a testimony of this great man of God Tb Joshua (tbjoshualivescoanminitries@gmail.com) that people sharing about him how he has been helping people i never believed that this will work out but not withstanding there is nothing God can not do, so i decided to contact his Email: tbjoshualivescoanminitries@gmail.com i explain all my problems to him he told me not to worry about if really i believe in God the most high i shall be healed. he told me what to do i quickly follow up with his instruction i never let money be my problem. within the next 2day my illness and pains were healed, my brothers and sisters there is nothing God can not do if you have not given your life to Christ please try and do so once again his email:tbjoshualivescoanminitries@gmail.com if you have any problem similar to this you can contact him and your problem shall be solve, i will not stop sharing his name as a testimony because he brings me joy and happiness now i am happy my husband is back. any problem regarding as follow you can contact him God almighty is great
(1) If you want your ex back.
(2) if you always have bad dreams.
(3) You want to be promoted in your office.
(4) You want women/men to run after you.
(5) If you want a child.
(6) You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever.
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Hello Brethren in the Lord,
May the peace and unity of the holy spirit fall upon you and your entire family as you read this splendid message from the synagogue church of all nations (SCOAN).
Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is still saying something as He is the deliverer, the healer and the same yesterday today and forever. God has used prophet TB Joshua morning water to work miracles and i know yours will not be a different in Jesus name!!!!
The God of prophet TB Joshua is a wonder working God. God have used the medium of the morning water to heal thousand of diseases, ranging from HIV AIDS, CANCER, BRAIN TURMOIL, TYPE 2 DIABETES, FINANCIAL BREAKTHROUGHS, FREEDOM FROM POVERTY, BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH ETC. If you need the morning water, and you do not have the time or money to visit the synagogue church of all nations, you can get one by contacting our email.
Send an E-mail directly to ( emmanuelscoan01@gmail.com ) specifying what you need.
The morning water is totally free, we do not sell it. (free shipping inclusive)
E-mail: emmanuelscoan01@gmail.com
Monique I owe you another #mambo!!!
Laure