A must watch and read. What has the church become?

Please click or copy this link to watch the video. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/4od

Below is a summary of the video.

7.30PM Fri 28 October 2011C4

Miracles, expensive cars, exorcisms and bodyguards: religion is big business in Nigeria. Reporter Seyi Rhodes and director Matt Haan travel to Lagos to reveal the extraordinary world of the millionaire preachers.

By promoting the dream of escaping poverty, they have turned their churches into corporations, which are changing the face of Christianity.

Every Sunday millions of Nigerians crowd into thousands of competing churches. The team visits one church in Lagos run by Dr Sign Fireman, an up-and-coming preacher who is attempting to break into the big time.

They find 2000 people at an event billed as the Burial of Satan. After a rock star entrance, Dr Fireman begins his service by exorcising the demons in his congregation.

Many Nigerian Pentecostal Christians believe that demons are the root cause of their problems in life and come to people like Dr Fireman to get rid of them. Over 20 men and women, including some who worked for Dr Fireman, have the evil spirits inside them expelled.

Sick members of the congregation come forward for miracle healing. Dr Fireman claims to have God-given powers that can change people's lives, from raising people from the dead to curing earache. One man tells the crowd he is crippled and blind. Dr Fireman then channels his powers to help the man walk and see again. Yet, earlier the team has seen the man walking unaided.

At the close of the event the crowd swarms forward and throws money at Dr Fireman's feet. There is so much cash it has to be collected in dustbins. Rhodes talks to one worshipper who says that those who give money are repaid by God with good fortune.

Some Nigerian Pentecostal Christians believe giving 10 per cent of their income will bring God's blessing into their lives, their families and their businesses. With the service over, Dr Fireman leaves in his yellow Hummer 4x4.

Through the marketing of his talents, Dr Fireman has expanded his Perfect Christianity Ministry to 40 branches. Key to this growth is the emphasis on prosperity preaching: teaching that prosperity is a sign of spiritual blessing. The idea is that to become rich, you should give money to the church.

Pentecostal and independent churches in Nigeria tap into the Nigerian dream: the aspiration of having and being seen to have cars, houses, money and power. To get more people to join his church, Dr Fireman believes portraying the right image is essential and shows the trappings of wealth his church has brought him. He travels everywhere with his bodyguards in one of his three yellow luxury cars with a combined worth of more than £150,000.

Dr Fireman's business model is not a new one. Most of the richest pastors in Nigeria use similar methods of expansion. The team meets Pastor Chris Okotie, the fifth richest pastor in the country, who had hits in the 80s with records such as Secret Love and Show Me Your Backside.

His church, House of God, attracts Nigerian film stars, celebrities and musicians. Pastor Okotie has used his power base to run for the last three presidential elections, believing the principles of prosperity preaching will provide a better future for Nigeria.

Local journalist Simon Ateba says it's almost impossible to establish their true wealth. Simon takes the team to the headquarters of Christ Embassy. He claims that two years ago when he tried to take photographs of the building, security guards dragged him inside and beat him until he fainted. Soon after he tells this story, security guards drag Rhodes into the building by his belt. He escapes unscathed.

The team visits Dr Fireman. He's busy in a music studio recording a new song as he expands his business into the music industry. Rhodes asks him how he can square his wealth and celebrity status with the teachings and life of Jesus.

Dr Fireman says that God wants him to be rich and denies that Jesus had a humble life. 'Jesus was rich and had an accountant who followed him around,' he tells Rhodes.

Wisdom from Psalms - Strength in affliction

Psalm 129:2

Many a time have they afflicted me f rom my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

 

Saundra was handicapped. Her hands were twisted beyond usefulness, and she had lived with them since birth. They caused her not only physical pain, but emotional anguish as well. Throughout her childhood, cruel children had mocked her. The damage done to her self-esteem was immense, and for a long period she believed that she could never do anything. In college she had met a friend who led her to Christ. In Christ she found a new desire to succeed and beat her affliction. She received a Master's degree in Therapy and Handicapped Services and became national spokeswoman for a handicap-awareness campaign. Though her detractors had always had something to say, Saundra prevailed and rose above her handicap.

 

The Lord gives us all the ability to rise above the things that limit us. If we will only lean upon Him, He will give us the will and drive to succeed in every situation. His power can be our power when we call upon His holy name.

 

Prayer: There are times, dear Lord, when I feel I don't amount to much. My self-image is bruised, and my determination is crushed. Be with me in those times, and lift me up. Amen.

The Trouble With Christian Phrases - New Man

The Trouble With Christian Phrases - New Man

WHAT’S GOING ON PEOPLE!!!! – SUICIDES AND MURDER SUICIDES ALL OVER THE PLACE.

It is disheartening to read online or listen to the news and hear about all this suicides happening all over the place. I am an avid reader of the UK daily mail and sometimes I just get angry at the news of teenagers, married men/women committing suicides or murder suicides.

What exactly can make someone take their own life? You cannot create any part in your body so why do think its right to take your own life? I hear of teenagers committing suicide just because they were bullied in school or called names by their peers or as some claims they are unloved. I will encourage you to visit any African country and see the level of suffering children and adults suffer over there and see if they do not even have a good reason to commit suicide. You live in a privilege country where everything works and you can even get credit so you can afford to buy good things for yourself. You are driven to school by either your parents or the school bus and then a few people who do not matter say something behind you or even in front of you and the next thing you want to do is commit suicide?

I am not making light of bullying having been a victim while I was in primary and high school back in Nigeria and if you really want to see bullying then try Nigeria schools. While in school, I had eczema all over my face and body, bad and crooked teeth, lumpy and fat and a bookworm who was always in the class during recess and lunch because everywhere I go during the study hours in the school compound I was the butt of jokes and snide remarks.

I could recollect a day when one of my classmates lied against me that I took her money just because I was the only one in the classroom during lunch time, I was so engrossed in the book I was reading [King Solomon’s Mines] that I never noticed anyone coming into the class. All my classmates mobbed me and were yelling obscenities behind while I was walking home, I was so ashamed, and my mother had to come with me to school the next day to address the issue with the principal. It was a terrible experience that would have scarred me for life if not for the grace of God. There I was going through a public disgrace for something I never did. I wonder what the response will be if that incident happened here in the US.  I never had a cell phone or home phone while living back in Nigeria so receiving or making calls was for the privileged few. The few times I had to make calls I had to visit a telephone call center and pay to make a call. I guess the advancement of technology have brought in an excess in information hence the cyber bullying.

I have also experienced bullying while  in college and you will not believe it even in the churches I have attended, in Nigeria and here in the States so it goes to show you that bullies are everywhere and they can only get to you if you allow them. Remember “sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you”.

They may call you names but it’s the name that God calls you that is important and he calls you beautiful, good, precious, apple of His eyes, His child and  if you are having struggles in tuning their words out of your mind and heart call on the Lord who is able to deal with the bullies or the situation and give you peace of mind. After all He said “Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. His word is true, yesterday, today and forever. Trust in Him.

Be encouraged that no amount of bullying/debt/divorce/strife/quarrels etc is enough to get you to take your own life or someone else’s. It does not matter what people say about you or behind you. Turn your anger/humiliation/debt etc over to Jesus and He will surely come through foryou.

Only God have the final say in your life, why kill yourself only to enter another level of suffering in hell fire? Because that is where anyone who commits suicide or murder suicide goes, no matter how good you think they were here on earth. God is the creator and He only have the final say over our lives and we don’t have the right to take a life we never created. Think about this the next time you are contemplating taking your own life or the life of others.

Is it truly worth it?

No Matter What This Week Holds.

Just wanted to share this to encourage us as we go into a new week. Enjoy

Hello You...
the one welcoming the day and wondering what this week holds.
I don't know.
But I'm certain of this--there's One who holds us.
And He promises nothing is impossible for you.
Not that mountain you're facing.
Not that task you're dreading.
Not that decision you're afraid to make.
He may not tell us the details of what's to come
but He reminds us of what's ours no matter what...
Victory.
A future.
A plan that's as good as He is.
Always.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

--Holley Gerth

“The Essential Guide to a Lasting Marriage” Marriage”

In light of my last posting. I will like to share some of the tips from a marriage counselling blog I subscribe to. Enjoy.

You should you never go to bed angry with your partner? True or false

This material is taken from my most recent book “The Essential Guide to a Lasting Marriage” published by Alpha press. In my next three posts for this week I am going to share some of material that is in the book. If you are interested the book it can be purchased on Amazon in hard copy and Kindle formats.

*Note when I refer to Marriage I am also talking about long term relationships.
In the next blogs I’m going to be talking about some or the myths that I mention in the book. The reason I am doing this is because if you believe a myth it tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The first one I’m going to talk about is the myth that you should never go to bed angry. Yes there are lots of reasons to not go to bed angry. You may have bad nights sleep as result of bad feelings between you and your partner; or if you are tired you are more likely to wake up cranky, but as I say in the book, if you are really angry you can’t set a time table. Sometimes it takes us a while to be ready to talk about something that is upsetting to us. Sometimes it takes our partner a while as well.

So here are four simple guidelines as to when it is time to talk about something that is upsetting you:

1.Make sure you are in a calm state of mind. If you are agitated as soon as there is some friction and if there was conflict the chances are great that the discussion might get heated. For a discussion to go well both of you have to be in a calm place.

2.Make sure that here is time; say 20 minutes to an hour depending on the severity and complexity of the issue.

3.Make sure that you’ve had some time to really understand where your partner is coming from. (I go into detail about this in my book “Negotiation for Couples”)

4.Go into the discussion with the understanding that some issues may not be resolvable, you just have to be in a place to agree to disagree.

In my next blog I will talk about how marriage/ relationships are not “Quid Pro Quo”, that is just because you do something to me it doesn’t work that I have to do something for you.

Note: I do practice some of this suggestions in my marriage and so far I can truly say they have been working for me. I write down my grievances point by point and I find time to discuss them with my husband allowing him time to address each point before moving to the next one and I find out there is no time to get angry or deviate, digress or rehash old wounds. Btw I am working on establishing friendship with the woman in my last blog post.