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| left: Fr. Mbaka; right: Pres Buhari |
Furthermore, he said that the charlatan’s audience are
“composed of the semi-literate; those who had exchanged their common sense for a
little distorted information… and are easily intoxicated by visions.”
Grete de Francesco wrote his book in 1939. But the
latter-day charlatans that fit his descriptions are the Pastors of Pentecostal
churches. They show signs and wonders to those who want to see them. And they
tell the credulous what they already want to hear.
In Africa for instance, it
is the unfortunate that goes to the Pastor. The fortunate doesn’t need a Pastor. Or has anyone encountered anybody who went to a Pastor to enquire why he's business is prospering? The most the person will do is to have a thanksgiving service.
The poor simply needs a Pastor to confirm that the suspect he has in mind is the cause of his misfortune. And once the Pastor
guesses correctly – aha; the miracle worker has done it again.
Then that Pastor becomes the ‘man of God’ of the moment. His congregation will multiply while his prescription
for their ailments will remain the same - wait for the Lord.
Meanwhile the Pastor's followers will continue to pay their tithes
notwithstanding if their misfortune is unemployment. They have now become the
sheep in the vine yard, in the actual sense of it.
They have now surrendered their common sense to the miracle worker. The
Pastor becomes their daddy and his wife their mama. Nowadays they rely on the Pastor even on how to manage their homes. Sometimes the pastor will donate holy sperm to
his female members.
As these ‘men of God’ gather multitudes; so will their
influence on the people and their host countries swell.
Consequently, every 1st January, Nigerian Pastors in particular
jostle to release what they term their New Year prophesies as directed by
‘God’. And these prophesies are laden with all sorts of bad news for the
country and its people.
For 2016 prophesies, and for illustration, let
me comment on the prophesies of Rev Fr Mbaka of the Adoration Chapel and that of Pastor Enoch Adeboye of
the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Fr Mbaka’s case is peculiar because prior to the 2015
Nigerian presidential election, he correctly predicted that Buhari will win the
election. But before the Buhari’s prediction, Fr Mbaka told Mrs Jonathan that
‘God’ said her husband will be re-elected.
Now, according to Mbaka, ‘God’ revealed to him that Jonathan
will no longer be re-elected; thereby implying that ‘God’ changed his mind. But
‘God’ said in Malachi 3:6; “For I am the Lord, I do not
change…”
Perhaps, it was Mbaka that changed his mind after waiting in
vain for his share of Dasuki’s diverted $2.1 billion.
However, Fr Mbaka’s New Year prophesy is that “there are
plots to Kill president Buhari”. What an ambiguous statement. Buhari is fighting
corruption in Nigeria and surely not everybody will be happy with him at the moment.
As such, we don’t need any soothsayer to tell us that those
indicted for corruption would want Buhari dead.
On the other hand, since Mbaka
didn’t say who the plotters are, and if I was Buhari; Mbaka must tell me who the
plotters are considering that Mbaka's 'prediction' worked in the past.
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| Pastor Enoch Adeboye |
In the case of Pastor Adeboye, “his aim is to put a church
within five minutes of every person on Earth” according to Wikipedia.
And his
mission is almost accomplished. At least, he has a Pastor (Osibanjo) as the
vice president of Nigeria .
Anyway, one of his New Year predictions is that a new
sexually transmitted disease (STD) will surface this year. Pastor Adeboye as a
Professor of Mathematics must be reading some science bulletins in addition to
reading his bible.
But the new STD that Pastor Adeboye is prophesying in 2016
was reported in September 2015 by most medical journals in the United Kingdom and
by the media. The Telegraph called it 'Super-gonorrhoea' that is drug-resistant.
Read about it here…
Pastor Adeboye knows that most Nigerians don’t read and
therefore, would be the last set of people to know about the new STD in town.
And thus, when they travel to London ,
contract and start spreading the new drug resistant STD, his followers will say
– aha; Pastor Adeboye said it. The miracle worker has done it again.
Overall, Fr Mbaka’s supposed prophesy is no prophesy at all. Rev Fr. Mbaka said what we already know. Buhari's war against corruption might put him in harm’s way.
And as for Pastor Adeboye, he simply informed the semi-literate of a new disease in town.
Sadly, while the rest of the world relies on
researches to better their environment; Nigeria rely on soothsayers to see the future.
However, Pastor Adeboye's prophesy/enlightenment is welcomed; as it will save the lives of those people who have ears to hear.