Protecting the Womenfolk from Ungodly Pastors
In times past, pastors were men of proven integrity who feared God in all that they did. Men of God, as pastors are often fondly referred to, were men who did the will of God and distinguished themselves in their attitudes to life. They were men who separated themselves from the world and lived above board in their dealings with people around them. They were men who could be trusted as God’s representatives on earth. They were not interested in money or women, the two temptations that are capable of obliterating a man’s destiny. They lived holy and were highly revered by the people.
But things have since changed, just as the times have changed. These days, men of God are no longer what they used to be. While acknowledging the fact that there are still some genuine pastors in the land, I must state here that many of today’s pastors are not what they claim to be. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, deceiving innocent people and devouring them in a bid to satisfy their lust for money and women. Unfortunately, many people especially women do not realise the truth about these pastors. They still trust them the way pastors of old were trusted. And so, they become victims of the fake pastors who lack the fear of God.
Usually, the pastors take advantage of the people’s love for God and various challenges needing solutions to collect money from them by telling them false visions and prophecies. Then there is one evil the pastors engage in which is worse than collecting money from people under false pretences. They violate women by raping them or telling them they must sleep with them for their prayers to be answered. There have been many instances of this and the women in their desperation and naivety agreed to the pastors’ amorous solution without getting the desired results.
Sometime ago, a neighbour and family friend told me what a friend of hers (who is not known to me) went through in the hands of a so-called pastor. The pastor was invited from one of the South Southern states to preach at a programme organised by the woman’s church in Abuja. During this programme, the woman who was facing the challenge of barrenness sought audience with the visiting pastor concerning her problem. Apparently sensing that the woman was rich, the pastor told her to come see him in his hotel room with N1.5 million which he said was the value of the prayers he would offer for her. On getting there, the man collected the money and as if that was not enough, he demanded to sleep with her as part of the prayer work! And the gullible woman agreed in spite of the fact that she was married. At the end of the day, the so-called prayers did not work. Of course, they couldn’t have worked! What was she thinking? That a holy God who warned against adultery would answer such prayers? That pastor defrauded her of a whopping N1.5 million plus her honour as a married woman. Double tragedy, you would say. And he had since returned to base, so there was no way the woman could find him to slug it out with him. Even if she had thought of collecting his address from her local church leaders who invited him, she would have been too ashamed to let people know what the man did to her, except her friend that she confided in.
A fake pastor in Lagos violated the wife of another pastor in a report I read in a newspaper last week, and I wondered why those pastors are taking such undue advantage of women. The randy pastor, named Paul Nna, was said to have raped the woman when her husband, also a pastor in another church in Lagos, sent her to collect a bag from him. On getting there, Pastor Nna was said to have told his colleague’s wife that God gave him a vision concerning her in connection with a new appointment she was to take up that morning. He allegedly told the woman that danger was lurking at her new office, and she needed deliverance to cast out a demon from her before proceeding to take up the job.
Terrified by the pastor’s revelation, the woman submitted herself for the deliverance, which involved flogging her with a bunch of broom. The pastor was said to have flogged her severally with the broom until she became exhausted and fainted, and Pastor Nna allegedly raped her, ostensibly thinking she would not know what transpired by the time she regained consciousness.
However, when the woman came around, she knew exactly what the pastor did to her. She immediately called her husband to report his colleague. The husband got to the scene and rushed his wife to a hospital where she was admitted, then, he reported the matter to the police at Ojota Police Division. The pastor, whose church is located at Ori Oke Ogudu area of Lagos, has been arraigned before the Ogudu Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping the pastor’s wife. The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eyo Owai, said the pastor was in court on a one-count charge of raping the pastor’s wife. Pastor Nna, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and sought for bail, while the trial Magistrate, Mrs. Aje Afuwa granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in like sum. The case was adjourned to October 13, 2010 for trial.
While not attempting to pre-judge the case, I think the police should do a more thorough job and pay attention to detail in the prosecution of offenders. A man flogged a woman almost to the point of death before allegedly raping her, and all the police could say was that he was in court on a one-count charge of raping the woman. What about the barbaric act of flogging? What right had he to whip the woman till she fainted in the name of deliverance? Which Bible teaches people to conduct deliverance by flogging? Or cast out devils by subjecting the victims to corporal punishment? Jesus Christ did not do it and none of His disciples did it. So, where did he get his own doctrine from? He ought to be facing a two-count charge of assault and rape and not a one-count charge of rape. A brilliant prosecutor would even make it three or four-count charge of assault, rape, bodily injury and psychological trauma.
Many people who are called pastors today were not called by God. They bulldozed their way into the Lord’s vineyard for personal gains. And so, they deal with the people anyhow they like, taking monies and material possessions from people unlawfully in the name of visions, prophecies, sowing seeds, etc., and violating women who are looking up to God for solutions to their problems. Some other pastors in this category were actually called by God but they allowed the love of money and lust for women to take root in their hearts. God has departed from such pastors in actual fact, but the gifts He gave them are still operating because His gifts and calling are without repentance (Rom. 11: 29). When He departs from His servants who abandon Him, He doesn’t take the spiritual gifts He gave them along with Him. So, miracle workers can still go on performing miracles even when God is no longer with them!
That is a spiritual irony that many people cannot comprehend, that is if they are even aware of it. And this is the reason Jesus Christ said that on the day of judgement, many (not few) shall say to Him, Lord, we prophesied in your name; we cast out devils and did many wonderful works (performing miracles) in your name, and He the Lord will say to them, I know you not; depart from me, you workers of iniquity (Matt. 7: 21 – 23). He is referring to those fake pastors, either whom He did not call but are doing the work for personal gains, or whom He called but departed from following the path of righteousness.
This is why people, especially women who are the major victims of these fake pastors must be very watchful. Jesus Christ whom the pastors claim to serve specifically warned us against them. He said many false prophets shall arise at the end time and we should beware so that no man would deceive us because they are cunning in their operations (Matt. 24: 4 – 5, 11, Matt. 7: 15). He said we shall know them by their fruits, that is, the works of their hands or the things that they do (Matt. 7: 16 – 20). When they tell you to do things that are contrary to the word of God like asking a woman to sleep with them for their prayers to be answered, charging fees for prayers, telling people that God said they should surrender their money or material possessions to them or to their church for them to be blessed, or beating people with canes or brooms in the name of deliverance, etc., just know that they are fake and refuse to co-operate with them.
The Bible warns against fornication and adultery, so, God cannot be the one behind any such demand by a pastor (Gal. 5: 19 – 21, 1 Cor. 6: 9 - 10). Also, God is against His servants asking for money or material possessions from people for services rendered to them. He said He gave them the anointing without cost, so, they must use it to serve the people free-of-charge (Matt. 10: 8). They can accept gifts of appreciation when their prayers are answered, but not asking people to give the gifts before or even after the prayers are answered. So, when a pastor is asking you for money, you know he is a fake, and, therefore, refuse to give it to him.
And as I said earlier, there is nowhere in the Bible where anyone cast out devils from people by flogging them; so, when any pastor says he would conduct deliverance on you by flogging you with a broom or ‘koboko’, tell him to go to hell, and flee from there, pleading the blood of Jesus as you go. I said plead the blood of Jesus as you go because we must operate with wisdom and understanding at this end time. Many of such pastors are evil in the real sense of the word. They use charms, and they will not hesitate to harm anyone who resists them or attempts to expose them. But when you are covered with the blood of Jesus, no harm will come unto you.
Even if such pastor did not reveal the method he would use before commencing the deliverance process and you thought it was only prayers, the minute he delivers the first stroke of the cane or the first whip of the broom, take to your heels and lodge a complaint at the nearest police station. Such pastor should be charged to court for assault and battery. Jesus Christ sent the devil that was tempting Him away by the written Word and cast out devils from people also by the Word (Matt. 4: 1 – 11, Matt. 8: 16 – 17). Therefore, anyone who conducts deliverance by any other means is a fake and must be resisted.
In addition to knowing their human rights, women must begin to know their spiritual rights by getting acquainted with the word of God, and protecting those rights by being watchful and courageous so that they would not be taken advantage of by those ungodly pastors.
By Nike Oluwole.
(First published on September 23, 2010)
