Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Christian Association Of Nigeria(CAN), Ogun State Chapter, has sounded a note of warning to clerics using prosperity messages to exploit the poor for material and financial gains.
Rev. Oyewale Oyeniyi, Chairman Christain Council Of Nigeria (CCN) disclosed in an exclusive interview with journalists at the funeral service of Apostle Abiodun Ademuyiwa, General Overseer, Chapel of Reconciliation, Abeokuta.
At the Funeral service held at the Headquarters of the Church in Olorunsogo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the preacher, Apostle John Ojelade spoke on the sermon titled, “Two Unique Appointments: The Death and Judgement, quoted HEB 9:27 to explain the message and extolled virtue of the deceased.
Oyeniyi, who expressed regret at the way some pastors twisted the words of God to exploit innocent Christians of their money and possessions to make themselves wealthy, said such preaching was against the kingdom of God.
“Prosperity is not bad. God did not say we must be poor, but if you are doing that at the expense of the poor that is bad” he noted
The CCN Chairman explained further that some of these clerics also used diabolic power to run their churches to deceived people and exploit the needy for monetary gains especially those that are desperate for miracles.
He acknowledged that there had been cases of these pastors swindling people of money and their possessions under false pretense of solving their spiritual problems, saying that the CAN is on top of the situation
Oyeniyi informed them that any power of darkness use in supporting God’s ministry in order for their church to grow would not last as God would sooner or later espouse the workers of iniquities.
“Call everyone to the saving knowledge of Christ . Some believe in the power of darkness that can’t work with Christ. You don’t need anything( power of darkness) to support the power of God because it is enough” he added.
Apostle Ojelade, while speaking on virtue of the wife of the deceased, Pastor Rhoda Ademuyiwa, said without his wife’s impute his wouldn’t have gone far in the ministry, noting that everyman will die once and not twice, admonishing those present to live a God- fearing life because of the day of judgment.
He said that the late pastor was passionate about the works of God, narrating how he and him went about in their youthful age preaching the Gospel from one communities, towns and villages to win the soul of people and bring them to the kingdom of God
The man of God, who described Ademuyiwa as a church leader and passionate father as well as a general in the body of Christ, said that the deceased live the exemplary Christ- like life and prayed to God to give the family and church members the strength to bear his loss
” He (Ademuyiwa) was a smart leader, a passionate father and a general in the body of Christ. He was a great sacrificial giver and a great friend to the body of Christ. He lived an exemplary Christain life and our purpose of coming here should be to praise God and to comfort and console everyone of us. His life time has been a missionary who received his call from God in Ekiti and left there to come to Abeokuta as a missionary” he noted