Chris Okotie, a pop music wizard-turned pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, raised a foggy dust in his seeming infantile jubilation following last Saturday’s departure of Prophet T. B. Joshua. The Okotie unkind comment clearly mirrors the depth of decadence among some of the Nigerian Christian leaders and their congregants.
According to Okotie who once claimed that God assured him of becoming Nigeria’s President in an election he clearly disgraced God, “the Wizard who assumed the title of Emmanuel had been consumed by divine indignation”.
Apparently piqued, Prophet Samuel, the General Overseer of Shiloh Word Chapel in Abuja, poured out his anger at what he considers an unbecoming and malicious outburst by Okotie, a supposed cleric of the pro-Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) genre.
For Prophet Samuel, ‘T. B. Joshua’s exit ”will expose so many men of God that preach for pockets and luxury; the hungry will attack them, the poor will resist them; the oppressed will come after them, the followers will discover, and recover from fraudulent transactions with brainwashed sermons of give and be given year to year.
”They are agents of demon, they have made themselves tax collectors from their followers; instead of soul collectors by salvation as pastors of branches; the love of money is all they are concerned about.
”As for Rev Chris Okotie, he lacks wisdom he does not have a credible father, if he has he will know the value of Prophet TB Joshua in the entire world of Christians; his light changed people, Jesus said let your light shine that people shall see and glorify your Father in heaven.
”Brother Chris Okotie, you need to allow the light of Christ shines through you towards mankind today, I am disappointed, you sound empty, you need to give your life to Jesus Christ then value heaven more than material things. T. B. Joshua was not materialistic! He was never given to luxury and vain lifestyle like you in his lifetime; pray as holy spirit comes into you; all your ambition will change from presidency to prayer revivals then your words will not sound as a heathen and dirty ( Prov 6:2; Prov 18:21; James 1:5 ) time will tell, evidence will show.”
For many years, Okotie has been untiringly abusing T. B. Joshua. At every turn the man has been proving him wrong. Truth of the matter is, most of those parading themselves in Nigeria as apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and reverends are jealous of the incredible manifestations of the late Joshua.
Unarguably, T. B. Joshua demonstrated the mystery of the Kingdom practically and in his profound spiritual teachings. His ministry made far greater impact globally even without the support of CAN and PFN. While some CAN and PFN players were busy acquiring private jets, building expensive institutions of learning children of their followers cannot attend, Joshua was busy putting smiles on the faces on the needy, the deprived, the displaced, the hungry and the neglected.
In some of the footage of Emmanuel TV, Prophet T. B. Joshua demonstrated uncommon love by enduring pains in his quest to reach out to communities around the world in need of kindness. Many are alive today because of him. Many others experienced miraculous turn around in their situations because of him.
Unlike Joshua, what we are seeing of most of the CAN and PFN clerics is a flamboyant lifestyle, living big on manipulating their followers with a largely abused ”seed time and harvest time” refrain. If CAN and PFN churches were to channel their huge funds in addressing the housing needs of their homeless followers, Nigeria’s housing deficit will not be as much as the worrisome 22 million. Rather than tackle housing needs, they are locked in a senseless egoic tussle of my church is bigger than yours. Are bigger churches a guarantee to heaven?
For instance, Omega Power Ministry (OPM) in Rivers State is busy shaping the future for wards of the poor, by building well-equipped air conditioned schools for them. The OPM schools are totally free, and exclusively for children of the poor. Many children similarly were on T. B. Joshua’s scholarship.
Like the blind man at the Beautiful Gate, millions of people around the world who benefited from the grace on the life of T. B. Joshua are not interested whether he changed their lives with the wizardry at Endor, what counts is they were once afflicted and successfully delivered by the prophet.
In a seeming unguarded outburst, Okotie said, ”the wizard of Endor assumed the name Emmanuel but had been consumed by the heavenly forces. Hebrews 1:13… Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool (Hupopodion/Greek). The wizard at Endor who assumed the title Emmanuel, has been consumed by divine indignation. And now his disciples bewail his ignominious exit.
”No marvel, one third of God’s angels followed the disgraced anointed cherub Lucifer!! Jehovah-Jesus our mighty gladiator has broken the head of the dragon with his mighty blows. He has descended from the mountain of spices with the fiery sword of his indignation….”
Joshua was born on June 12, 1963, in Arigidi, Akoko axis of Ondo State. Plans were underway for his 58th birthday, which was a few days away.
Going by Wikipedia’s account, Temtope Babatunde Joshua said he spent 15 months in his mother’s womb and narrowly avoided death after a quarry explosion near his house sent rocks through its roof just seven days after his birth. According to his followers, a prophecy about the birth of a man of God from the poor neighborhoods of Oosin in Arigidi Akoko given 100 years earlier applied to T. B. Joshua.
Joshua, then known as Balogun Francis, attended St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School in Arigidi Akoko, Nigeria, between 1971 and 1977, but failed to complete one year of secondary school education. In school, he was known as “small pastor” because of his love for the Bible. He worked in various casual jobs after his schooling had ended, including carrying chicken waste at a poultry farm. He organised Bible studies for local children and attended evening school during this period. Joshua attempted to join the Nigerian military but was thwarted due to a train breakdown that left him stranded en route to the military academy. He died on 5 June in his home in Lagos shortly after his Saturday night teaching.
Joshua wrote that in a heavenly vision he had received divine anointing and a covenant from God to start his ministry. Following this, Joshua founded the ministry organisation known as Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN). According to the organisation, more than 15,000 members attend its weekly Sunday service; visitors from outside Nigeria are accommodated in the accommodation blocks constructed at the church.
The Guardian reported that SCOAN attracts more weekly attendees than the combined number of visitors to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. SCOAN’s popular services have also resulted in an enormous boost for local businesses and hoteliers.
Despite Joshua’s popularity, the church has only one branch, located in Ghana. According to Joshua, “it is not yet time” for him to have branches worldwide as “it will be too much for my character”.
