Fr. Mbaka vs.The Jonathans: N5 million in an offering bag?

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Read Time:4 Minute, 34 Second

CLEARLY, the Mbaka episode is multi-dimensional and it is getting messier by the day. It has reached a point where President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife cannot remain mute for too long, lest they will continue to be misunderstood. The theatricals are still unfolding.
Act I: Scene I – Dame Patience Jonathan visits the Catholic Adoration Centre in Enugu, a church headed by Revd Father Ejike Mbaka. Madam is pleasantly received and Father Mbaka eulogises her husband to the high heavens. So impressed was Dame that she dropped N5 million in the offering bag. And this was marvelous in the sight of Mbaka.

Scene II: Madam returns to Abuja. Father Mbaka makes several unsuccessful attempts to see her.

Act II: Scene I – A short while later, Father Mbaka lampoons the Jonathan administration for abysmal performance. In a New Year message titled

“From Good luck to Bad luck”, Mbaka openly canvassed the rejection of President Jonathan at the 2015 presidential election, thus asking Nigerians to vote for a leader who can tackle the many challenges facing Nigeria. He lashed out at men of God who hobnob with the powers-that-be.

Mbaka went ruthlessly personal: “The Jonathan administration has failed… When Goodluck met Yar’Adua, he got bad luck and died. When Goodluck met our oil, it poured away and met bad luck. When Goodluck met our Naira, it met bad luck… Look at you brilliant youth, nobody has any plans for you… 2015 cannot be the same. We announce change… Boko Haram has virtually crippled the Northeastern part of the country…

Many are saying that it is Buhari that said he would make our country ungovernable. Even though Buhari never said such a thing, but if you are the President, will you not arrest such a person? Are you waiting for your own church to be bombed before you speak out? … If my father will be leader and my siblings will all die, let a stranger be my leader and let my family live….”

Questions: Where did things go wrong? When is a housewife who goes about throwing money around worth investigating? From the much we know, the office of First Lady is totally alien to our Constitution. Where did this housewife get all the money she is throwing around? When are we going to have an Internal/Inland Revenue Service that will be alive to its responsibilities? In the United States of America, for instance, if you are unable to account for your source wealth, Uncle Sam would pursue you far into the bottomless pit.

Which offering bag would contain N5 million, even in our highest denomination of N1000 notes? Is it possible, albeit most unlikely, that the
What would have transpired for the Reverend to exploded, and resolved to take his pound of flesh!

Only a good investigation would unraveled the truth here but given the pluralistic nature of our society, even the investigators are, ab initio, handicapped: if they push too hard, they are seen as supporting the opposition; and if they do not push hard enough, they are seen as working for the “oga at the top”.

Meanwhile, Father Mbaka has come under severe criticism from many quarters. He is accused of washing the dirty linens in public. Our counsel is to prevent the linen from dirt for, once the linen gets dirty, it can be washed anywhere – even on the pulpit!

Again, the Mbaka sermon provides a most damning verdict on the Jonathan administration, particularly coming from the most unexpected quarters – the Southeast, where Jonathan’s second-term bid had become a foregone conclusion.

The Mbaka sermon has a lot of parallels in history. Right from biblical times, courage has been the stuff of which leaders are made. When Queen Esther saved an entire generation of people, asserting unequivocally, “If I perish I perish”, she demonstrated rare courage. When the Archbishop Olubunmi Okogie, as he then was, remained in the vanguard of critics of our military rulers, he demonstrated uncommon courage.

There is something that cannot be taken away from Father Mbaka – he has shown that the easiest way of perpetuating evil is for good men to do nothing. For too long, men of God have remained docile in the face of injustice in this country, oblivious of the fact that it is only when society is at peace that the church can be at peace. For instance, how many people can go to church in the troubled regions of the world?

There is no escaping the inevitable conclusion that the church in Nigeria today has become hopelessly compromised, commercialized and polarized.

But let no one be deceived into believing that religious leaders have no business in politics and governance. One major problem in this country has been the failure of the church to live up to expectation as the conscience of the people and the representatives of God on earth. We believe that many of the ills that have plagued this country would have been averted had our religious leaders been courageous enough to speak out as appropriate.

The situation here calls for a lot of restraint. Whatever the motivation mix and despite Mbaka’s apparent duplicity, there are aspects of his message that cannot be totally ignored. There comes a time when we must ignore the messenger and still accept his message.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Exposed! Stage-Managed Miracles Syndicate In Churches For Nigerian Pastors Arrested

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Read Time:4 Minute, 56 Second

 When God revealed it to the presiding pastor (Pastor and church’s identities withheld) of one of the Pentecostal churches in Ogba area of Lagos to organize a week long crusade last December, the man of God must have probably anticipated that God was planning to perform major miracles that would catapult his ministry to the next level.Indeed, miracles were not in short supplies at the crusade. However, the supposed miracles, as it turned out, have little or nothing to do with the church beyond the fact of the church being the host of the crusade where the ‘wonders’ took place.

As it appears, God has only decided to use the church in question as a base to launch an assault against the wolves who parade themselves in sheep skin and to sanitize the Christendom which is being infiltrated by impostors who fake miracles with the sole intention of deceiving unsuspecting Christian faithful for selfish motive.

No fewer than four members of a syndicate which specializes in stage-managing miracles in churches in the country are currently squealing on some pastors of notable churches they work for in the country as well as some of the miracles that they have conjured in conjunction with their accomplices.

Undoubtedly, nothing short of a divine intervention would have been responsible for the arrest of the suspects who are currently furnishing the police with information about their modus operandi, past exploits and their accomplices.

Sunday Sun reliably gathered that the church where the miracles took place had organized a week long programme during which a Ghanaian pastor (name withheld) was invited as a guest minister. The Ghanaian pastor, it was learnt, ministered for most part of the pro­grammes during which a number of miracles was said to have taken place.

The Ghanaian pastor, however, returned to Ghana a day before the last day of the crusade while the host pastor carried on with the programme. At the end of the pro­gramme, Sunday Sun gathered that a man and woman approached the host pastor from whom they requested to meet the Ghanaian pastor who they thought was the real pastor of the church. “They were shocked to discover that the Ghanaian pastor was only invited to minister during the programme,” a source who craved anonymity disclosed.

Having recovered from their shocks “they informed the host pastor that the Ghanaian pastor hired them to stage-manage miracles that took place during the programme and promised to pay them the sum of N250,000 which he never did before he left. They later demanded that the host pastor pay them the said amount since their acts were staged in the church, a demand the pastor declined, insisting he knew nothing about it.” Sunday Sun further learnt that the host pastor would later call the Ghanaian pastor who allegedly denied knowing or contracting the gang.

Confused by the turn of event, the host pastor called to inform one of his friends, a pastor who advised him to report the matter to the police since the people insisted they would not leave until they were paid for the services they rendered. “So he pretended to play along with them and succeeded in getting them arrested along with two other suspects.

Among those arrested are two men who gave their names as Joshua Ifeanyi and Kazeem Akinwale and two women who identified themselves as Mary Arikawe and Kemi Adeniyi. The suspects who are currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID Panti, Yaba, Sunday Sun was reliably informed are members of a syndicate which operates across the country.

“They have confessed to be members of a syndicate which operates across the country. But those arrested so far are members of a seven-member gang which operational base is the South-west zone. There are other groups which operate in other zones in the country. The South-west group is headed by an Ibadan-based woman simply identified as Iya Ibo,” Sunday Sun was informed.

Although the Ghanaian pastor denied knowing the group, his denial appears not to hold water as it was gathered that the host pastor was able to identify two of the suspects to include those who claimed to have received miracles under the ministration of the Ghanaian pastor.
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“One of the two men arrested was said to have been recognized by the host pastor as the one who came to the crusade with POP around his neck, which the Ghanaian pastor pulled off and got healed after he was prayed for. And again one of the women was identified as the one whom the pastor brought out from the congregation and revealed so many things about her which she also affirmed as true during the programme.

One of the things he said about the woman is that her husband deserted her over three years ago, a claim the woman said was true. He later prophesied that her husband would return soon.”

Revealing their mode of operation, the suspects reportedly said besides staging and being recipients of fake miracles, they also tried to get information about people, their problem and gave to their principals who would later relate to them during service as if he was seeing visions or receiving revelation from God.

As at the last count no fewer than names of 10 persons who claimed to be men of God had been mentioned. But a police source informed Sunday Sun that the police are still on the trail of other suspects while investigation concerning pastors involved is still ongoing.

“Cases such as this one require extreme caution. That is why we are being meticulous about those pastors that have been mentioned so far but I can assure you that thorough investigation will be done on the case,” the source disclosed.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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2014 prophecies that didn’t come to pass

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Read Time:15 Minute, 14 Second

At the twilight and dawn of every year, it has become customary for Nigerian clerics to reel out prophesies on what to expect in the New Year. While few of these predictions manifest, many of them fail to see the light of the day.

Predictions are, however, not limited to Christian clerics. Members of other faiths and beliefs are known to have made predictions not only in Nigeria but all over the world.

Notable in Nigeria in the last two decades of the last century were Prof. Godspower Oyewole, a metaphysician, and Prof. Sam Akpabot.

While Oyewole gazed into his crystal ball to give earth-shaking predictions on a wide array of subjects including politics, economy and environment, Akpabot limited himself to sports. He was called the Oracle of Nigerian sports. The two gentlemen are now deceased.

Like in the past years, some of the prophecies made in 2014 by some Nigerian seers did not come to pass, causing many Nigerians to take some of these prophesies with a pinch of salt.

Aregbesola will be abducted — Olabayo

The founder of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh, Theophilus Olabayo, predicted late 2013 that Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola risked being kidnapped in the New Year of 2014.

Olabayo, who prophesied in his 2014 Book of Predictions that a South-West governor would be kidnapped, told a national newspaper (not THE PUNCH) during an interview to expatiate on the predictions that the governor could also be killed.

He said, “Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has to be watchful so that they will not kidnap and kill him in the New Year. He has to be very careful so that he can survive the year.” However, the governor was not killed in the year and no attempt to kidnap him was recorded.

2014, Nigeria’s year of economic boom — Olusegun

For Akiode Olusegun who is the General Overseer of the Ogun State-based Divine Ministries International, 2014 would be a year of economic surplus for Nigeria. He had specifically noted among other predictions that “2014 is a year of economic growth for Nigeria.’’ It was number 24 of the 33 predictions made by the pastor for the year.

Last year was, however, everything but financially buoyant for Nigeria. The decline in the price of crude oil affected the government to the extent that the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, outlined government’s austerity measures aimed at cushioning the impact of the oil slump on the economy.

Olusegun further said in number 30 of the prediction outline that, “Some notable people will commit suicide by drinking poison to escape hammer from government.’’ Rather than this, Nigerians only witnessed a higher level of impunity from individuals in government circles.

Presidential ticket will split APC — Suleiman

Apostle Johnson Suleiman, who is the founder and Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, was also among the clerics who predicted major occurrences in 2014. He had said the contest for the presidential ticket to select the individual who would be the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress for next month’s election would split the party. However, the opposition political party managed the primary election so well that the eventual winner and former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, was congratulated by fellow opponents.

Buhari contested the primary election against Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and the Publisher, Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah.

Suleiman also said, “I saw a colonel in the military trying to stage a coup but he will fail.’’ Such a development did not happen in 2014.

Another prophecy of his that, “I see CBN printing high denomination naira notes this year,’’ also never materialised in 2014.

Chibok girls will return unhurt — T.B Joshua

Popular Pastor Temitope Joshua, the General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations with headquarters in Lagos is one cleric who regales his followers with predictions which they claim come to pass.

In a two-minute, 55 seconds video clip on tbjoshuawatch, TB Joshua, as he is popularly called, said, “Unless I’m not called by God, I place my career and calling on the line that these 200 schoolchildren and girls that were kidnapped have to be released immediately, unharmed and unhurt.” The video quoted Joshua as saying this on May 3, 2014.

More than seven months after, the girls have yet to be released. The few who reportedly escaped had told the world of the sufferings and assaults they underwent in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

‘Missing Malaysian plane ‘ll be found’ – T.B Joshua

Joshua was also said to have declared to his congregation on March 15, 2014 that the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 would be found. In the same video clip, with “SCOAN Live Prophetic Service” on its scroll bar, Joshua said, “There is a big controversy going on in the world about the missing Malaysian plane. They don’t know where the plane is. I’m the only minister, if not only me, that God used to speak about this issue. But the whole thing is coming to an end. The whole thing has come to an end, in the sense that they would discover the plane, they would discover the particles, everything would end any moment from now. So, this coming week, we are not going to be talking about it again, rather the families concerned would know their fate.”

The Malaysian plane is yet to be found.

‘Write off Ebola Virus Disease’

In another video clip reportedly recorded in August 2014, the synagogue preacher declared that Ebola would be a ‘write-off’. He said, “People of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are released. The whole thing is (a) write-off. The life we have been living before now, we are back to that (sic).”

While Nigeria has since been declared Ebola-free, the dreaded disease has killed over 8,000 people and infected over 20,000 mainly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. And it is still raging.

‘There will be terror attack in UK’

According to tbjoshuawatch, “On August 29, 2014, the UK’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre changed the UK threat level from international terrorism from substantial to severe. Two days later, Joshua predicted a terror attack in the UK sometime between the middle and end of September.”

No terror attack was launched on the UK in the said year.

Nigeria will do well in Brazil — Olubode

Prophet Michael Olubode of the Celestial Church of Christ is another seer who reels out predictions to Nigerians at the twilight of every year, giving them a glimpse into the coming year.

Writing on his website, Olubode said, “Nigeria will perform exceedingly well in this year’s World Cup but the Super Eagles will not win the cup. This is how the breakdown of how the game will look like: The Iranian team will either draw with Nigeria or place the Super Eagles in a qualifying state on the game to be played on June 16, 2014. Then, Nigeria will record impressive victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 21 and another victory against the Argentina team on June 25.”

The 2014 World Cup outing has been the worst for Nigeria. Nigeria crashed out after losing 0-2 to France in the second round. Although they played a goalless draw with Iran and won only one match, a 1-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Eagles lost 3-2 to Argentina in the group stages.

‘Nigerian will win world class beauty peagent’ -Olubode

Olubode also said, “It has been revealed to me that in the latest news of BBC and CNN, Nigeria will once again be announced as the winner of one of the world class beauty contests this year. I advise stakeholders and lovers of Nigeria to pray well that this great expectation will come to pass. Many nations will envy and respect Nigeria for this.” This did not happen.

‘Buhari, Atiku will be abducted’ -Olubode

“I see Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President under Obasanjo, taken captive with the unfortunate politicians to suffer and possibly die over the coming crisis in the country. He will, however, be saved miraculously from the pangs of death and torture. The crisis will not spare the ex-head of State, Muhammadu Buhari. He will be taken with some Nigerian politicians this year at his residence while dinning and winning and enjoying himself with his guests,” Olubode also said.

This also did not come to pass. Neither Abubakar nor Buhari was attacked or kidnapped.

Similarly, Olubode said, a country that is least expected will win the World Cup.

This too did not come to pass as Germany who had earlier won the tournament three times lifted the coveted trophy for the fourth time in Brazil.

US will overrun Syria — Ayodele

Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele is also renowned for his prophecies. He said about 2014:

“President Jonathan needs to be prayerful as there are plans by the international community to embarrass his government. America will take over Syria no matter what. The President of Syria may be killed if he is not careful, as many nations would rise against him. The Emir of Qatar will be troubled by reforms.”

Syria is still in the throes of a bloody civil war, while some parts of it have been overrun by the terrorist group, ISIS. The US has yet to take over the country. Also, the President of Syria is very much alive, while Qatar has remained trouble-free.

Akpabio will lose office — Ituen

Founder and Spiritual Leader of CDM-Christ Deliverance Ministries Inc. Lagos, Prophet Ekong Ituen prophesied that Akwa Ibom State would have a change of government in the outgone year.

He said, “Akwa Ibom State will soon have a change of government through the court of law as earlier predicted. I am urging the governor to put his office and documents in order in preparation for a new government. I advise the good people of my state to keep their faith alive and watch out God in action. It may take a little but I am confident because it is obvious in the spirit that your governor will not complete his tenure in office. Governor Godswill Akpabio should put his office and documents in order in preparation for a new governor.” This was never so. Up till now Akpabio still holds sway as the governor of the state.

Mr. Bola Ilori, a public commentator, told SUNDAY PUNCH that some clergy men often speak in parables.

He said, “There are some men of God who instead of being blunt couch their predictions in parables hence they are neither here nor there. Some people have, however, labelled these people as being smart in their predictions.

“One which came to mind is the one given by Oyewole before the 1983 general elections. He was asked who would become Nigeria’s next president. He told his interviewers that the name of the winner is in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. The supporters of Chief Obafemi Awolowo were quick to jump to conclusion that it was Awolowo, as his Christian name was Jeremiah. When the results were released, Shehu Shagari won. When accused of making a wrong prediction, Oyewole disagreed. He told them that the name Shamgar was in the Bible stating the book, chapter and verse.”

Ayodele, also explained that misconceptions occurred because of people’s poor knowledge about prophesy.

He said, “Nigerians don’t understand when a man of God speaks. We should not blame many men of God who said things in the past that did not come to pass. Everything is in the hands of God. He is the one who has the final say about everything that happens.”

Similarly, Olubode, while responding to one of the persons who faulted some of his prophecies posted online that, “I just want you to know that I am not a prophet appointed to compete for a medal. I am not also expected to deliver accurate prophecy all the time, but all these imperfection has (sic) not also disqualified me from being a prophet of God. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. Many are of the view that a prophet must be perfect in his vision all the time, this is not so.”

Speaking on the issue, Director of Studies, United Bible University, Lagos, Prof. Kunle Macaulay, described clergymen making predictions as uninformed. He added that the era of prophecy had long gone.

He said, “Our people do not know that the ministry of prophets has ended. We are now in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The beginning of prophecy was when the elders of Israel demanded for a king to judge them (1 Samuel 8). Those who still prophesy do not have the required spiritual knowledge. The prophecies they are making will not come to pass once they are not from God.’’

Macaulay, who likened predictions to guesswork and psychology, noted that whatever did not emanate from God would not come to pass.

Barack Obama will be hospitalized”, “Boko Haram will attack Nigerian Politicians” || T.B. Joshua’s latest prophecies

Speaking in his church on Sunday, 31 August, Prophet T.B. Joshua made gloomy prophecies about Nigerian politicians, Barack Obama, Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Kenya.

Joshua, who is the General overseer of the Synagogue church of all nations, said that Boko Haram insurgents would soon begin to target Nigerian politicians, which according to him, could lead to a crisis in the country.

He said, “Last time, I said we should pray for Nigerian ‘bigshots’ because I am seeing these people(Boko Haram) begin to target them, It will result to death. “They are just looking for an avenue that will cause crisis and conflict in the region. When it happens, it will cause political crisis.”

He also prophesied about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, saying there would be a plane crash in the unstable region near Russia and Ukraine.

“Commercial planes should not pass there because I am seeing a plane full of passenger’s crash in that region. It will not be between Ukraine and Russia this time but it is close to that place, a neighbouring region,” he said.

Speaking further, Joshua revealed that Barack Obama is in dire need of fervent prayers, saying, “Pray for the president of America. I am seeing him being rushed to the hospital but he will get over it. “They should allow him to rest, he should not go for an operation. I am not talking of myself, I am talking of God.”

He also made mention of Southern Africa, Kenya and Poland in his prophecies. “I am seeing militants are interested in embarrassing a president – either they kill him or kidnap him. That is just their objective in the Southern region– to kidnap the president, vice president or first lady of that nation,” he said.

“Crisis will start any moment from now. It will start with internal crisis… What is the word 16? I was made to see the nation Poland – pray for the nation,” he added.

PRAY FOR THE POPE – T.B. JOSHUA

Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua gave another surprising revelation in his church service on Sunday 7thAugust 2014, specifically calling for prayer for Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, as well as prophesying an imminent hijacking of a plane by ‘militants’.

“There is a very big religious leader,” Joshua began, describing the said person as a ‘father’ figure, widely respected across different religions.

“I have been praying for him,”he continued, adding that he received an alarming ‘vision’ concerning him the prior day.

“They should pray for him,” Joshua proceeded, although not specifying which area people should direct their prayer towards. “The clergyman I am talking about is the Pope,” he then clarified.

Continuing, Joshua prophetically warned of a plane being hijacked by ‘militant’ forces in a dramatic scene that would result in ‘breaking news’ worldwide.

“They will attempt to enter a plane,” the cleric declared. “You will hear ‘Breaking News’ of a hijacker inside the plane that carried the plane from its original direction to another direction.”

“We should pray so that it will not just end like that and we learn that there’s a crash,” he said, seemingly referring to the infamous Al Quaeda attack against America on September 11th 2001 where four commercial planes were hijacked by the terrorists.

“This is another big attempt they want to do,”Joshua warned, soliciting heightened security checks in airports worldwide to avert the impending disaster.

Last week, T.B. Joshua gave a widely reported prophecy concerning ‘approaching’ world events.

He said he had a vision of US President Barack Obama being rushed to hospital with a health challenge, another plane crash in the region around Russia and Ukraine and a political crisis in Nigeria sparked by the murder of a ‘bigshot’.

Joshua reminded congregants of the prophecy, adding that the killing of al-Shabab’s spiritual leader Ahmed Abdi Godane by US forces in an airstrike on Monday showed ‘God’ was involved.

Joshua had specifically called for prayer for Kenya related to a ‘militant’ plan in place to attack a presidential figure in Southern Africa.

 

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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I don’t trust politicians they are liars but they can attend my church services–Adeboye

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Read Time:2 Minute, 2 Second

The General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Friday has said he does not trust politicians.Adeboye spoke in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, during a two-day interdenominational prayer.According to the cleric, politicians in most cases hardly fulfil their promises.Adeboye illustrated his claim with the story of three travellers – an Indian, a Jew and a politician.

He said while the three men were travelling, they had a problem and went to a farmer for help, but the farmer said he could only accommodate two people.Adeboye said the Indian volunteered to sleep in the barn, but returned few minute later that there was a cow there.The Indian, according to the illustration, said he couldn’t sleep in the barn because cows were gods worshipped in his country.

The Jew also came back complaining that pig was inside the barn and that the place was dirty.The politician also volunteered to sleep there, but instead of the politician to come back to complain, Adeboye said it was the pig and cow that came knocking that the politician should be sent away because he promised to make the environment, including the barn conducive with air-conditioner.

The cleric said, “I don’t trust politicians. Politicians are liars. They don’t fulfil most of their promises. A politician can tell you that they will give all of you (students) chicken each, which we all know it is impossible.”The RCCG General Overseer, however, asked Nigerians to stop worrying themselves over who would emerge winner in the next general elections.According to him, God is a master planner who has already planned the leadership development of Nigeria.

Adeboye said, “God has already planned who will be the President of Nigeria. God has already planned that before we were born. God is not like human beings who doubt what is to be done. He has plan for everything.”Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Bamitale Omole, hailed the cleric for his yearly presence in the university, saying the initiative was having positive impacts on the school.

He said, “We appreciate the love of Pastor Adeboye. With God and his presence last year, we had no calamities and also emerged as the best university in Nigeria. I urge students to be prayerful and cautious of what they do as God will continue to protect us.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Prophet TB Joshua: “Why I Can’t Stop Tragic Visions When I See Them”

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Read Time:2 Minute, 54 Second

The General Overseer of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations(SCOAN), Prophet TB Joshua has granted an exclusive interview about Why he Can’t Stop Tragic Visions When he sees Them

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About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Boy Says He Didn’t Go To Heaven; Publisher Says It Will Pull Book

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Read Time:2 Minute, 38 Second

Nearly five years after it hit bestseller lists, a book that purported to be a six-year-old boy's story of visiting angels and heaven after suffering a bad car crash is being pulled from shelves. The young man at the center of The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, Alex Malarkey, said this week that the story was all made up.

The book's publisher, Tyndale House, had promoted it as "a supernatural encounter that will give you new insights on Heaven, angels, and hearing the voice of God."

But Thursday, Tyndale House confirmed to NPR that it is taking "the book and all ancillary products out of print."

The decision to pull the book comes after Alex Malarkey wrote an open letter to retailer LifeWay and others who sell Christian books and religious materials. It was published this week on the Pulpit and Pen website.

"I did not die. I did not go to Heaven," Alex wrote. He continued, "I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible."

He concluded, "Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough."

Here are a few key background details of the story: Alex Malarkey was paralyzed at the age of 6 when he was in a car wreck. He then spent two months in a coma. He's now a teenager. The book lists him as a co-author along with his father, Kevin Malarkey.

Calling the book a "spiritual memoir," The Washington Post notes that it "became part of a popular genre of 'heavenly tourism,' which has been controversial among orthodox Christians."

Alex's parents are now divorced; he and his siblings live with his mother, Beth Malarkey, who has previously spoken out against the book (and last year, a movie) featuring her son. She has also said that profits from the book haven't been going to Alex.

Last spring, Beth Malarkey wrote a blog post stating, "Alex's name and identity are being used against his wishes (I have spoken before and posted about it that Alex has tried to publicly speak out against the book), on something that he is opposed to and knows to be in error according to the Bible."

She added, "I am fully aware of what it feels like to be pulled in. There are many who are scamming and using the Word of God to do it. They are good, especially if you are not digging into your Bible and truly studying it. They study their audience and even read 'success' books to try to build better and bigger … 'ministries/businesses.' "

Thanks to NPR editor Susan Vavrick for flagging this story

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Pope Francis Sees Limits to Freedom of Speech

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Read Time:5 Minute, 27 Second

MANILA— Pope Francis waded into the debate over freedom of expression following the attacks in Paris, saying that killing in the name of religion is an “aberration,” but adding that those who deride other faiths can expect to provoke a strong—even violent—response.

Speaking in reference to last week’s assault on French publication Charlie Hebdo that left 12 dead, the pope said that “no one can kill in the name of God. This is an aberration.”

He added, however, that “there is a limit to freedom of expression.” The pope offered a colorful example, referring to a hypothetical case in which someone insults his mother.

“One cannot react violently, but if [someone] says something bad about my mother, he can expect a punch. It’s to be expected,” the pontiff said. “There are a lot of people who speak badly about other religions. They make fun of them. What happens is what happens with my friend [who insults my mother]. There is a limit.”

The pope made the comments during an in-flight news conference from Sri Lanka to Manila, where he will take up the second leg of a weeklong tour of Asia. He was greeted at the airport by President Benigno Aquino III and a raucous singing, dancing routine by hundreds of jeans-clad young people. People cheered the pope’s motorcade to the residence of the Apostolic nuncio.

In recent days, the 78-year-old pontiff strongly denounced the attack by two militant Muslim gunmen on Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical publication that has long derided Islam, as well as other religious figures, including the Vatican.

Before leaving Rome on Monday, the pope said “deviant forms of religion” lead to atrocities such as last week’s attacks in France, and he prayed for the victims. He has frequently denounced killings and persecution, particularly of Christians, perpetrated by Islamic fighters in the name of religion. The 78-year-old pontiff has been a strong advocate of interreligious dialogue, even in the face of Islam-inspired violence.

But his in-flight remarks are likely to fuel the debate about freedom of expression that has erupted since the killings, amid complaints from Muslim leaders that the French publication stepped over the line in its raunchy and mordant depiction of the Prophet Muhammad.

“Each person not only has the freedom but also the obligation to say what he thinks in the name of the common good,” the pope said. But “each religion has its dignity. I cannot make fun of it.”

Separately, the pope said a much-anticipated encyclical on the environment likely will come out in June or July. It will be the first papal encyclical on the issue, and any strong stand by the pope on the question of whether climate change is provoked by human activity is likely to be divisive.

The Argentinean-born pontiff has frequently warned against the despoiling of the planet and has expressed concern over the impact of rising tides and natural catastrophes on poor countries. As a result, some expect him to endorse the idea that human activity is a cause of global warming. If so, the Catholic Church could give a major boost those who believe human activity has caused climate change

In the news conference, the pope sidestepped the question, saying only that he believes that man “has overexploited nature” and making reference to concerns raised by Catholic leaders regarding the deforestation of the Amazon.

The pope is hoping to release the encyclical before the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris in November, saying that past efforts to find international agreement on ways to combat climate change “lacked courage.”

“Let’s hope that in Paris, they are braver,” he said.

Environmental issues are likely to emerge during the pope’s tour of the Philippines, parts of which were devastated by a typhoon in November 2013. A major highlight of the Philippines visit will be a Mass scheduled Saturday in Tacloban, an area that suffered the largest number of casualties.

The pope also dropped a strong hint that he could travel to Mexico or to the U.S.-Mexican border during a planned trip to the U.S. in September. The Holy See has only confirmed that he will attend a world family day in Philadelphia in September, but Pope Francis has said publicly that he is considering stops in Washington, D.C., New York and Mexico.

During the news conference, the pope said that during his September trip, he will canonize Junipero Serra, a cleric credited with having spread Catholicism in the western U.S. in the 18th century. He gave no further details, and the Vatican typically confirms the exact agenda of papal travels a couple of months ahead of a visit.
Pope Francis smiled as he spoke to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III after landing in Manila on Thursday. Reuters

Finally, the pontiff addressed concerns that he could be the target of an attack by Islam-inspired militants. Since the Paris attack, the Italian government has acknowledged that the Vatican could be a target, although it said it has no information on specific threats. Almost every Wednesday, the pope holds a public audience in St. Peter’s Square, typically touring the piazza in his open-top Popemobile and stopping to greet the tens of thousands of faithful who come.

Security is a major concern for the Philippines trip. Some fear an attempt on the pope’s life by al-Qaeda-linked Islamic militants active in the south of the country. Authorities are also concerned that the huge crowds—a Mass on Sunday could draw as many as six million people—could rush the hugely popular pontiff. He was surrounded by bodyguards at his arrival at the airport, and security forces jammed cellular networks.

Pope Francis, who hates being constrained by security and has spurned bulletproof cars, admitted Thursday that he was concerned about security, particularly the risk that an attack could injure or kill bystanders.

“I worry, but I have a healthy dose of disregard,” he said. “I know they are taking security precautions…All I can do is pray that I don’t feel pain (in the case of an attempt). I’m not very courageous when it comes to pain.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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The Republican Party’s war with Pope Francis has finally started

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Read Time:5 Minute, 2 Second

It looks like 2015 is shaping up to be the year when Catholic conservatives declare war on Pope Francis.

We heard the first rumblings last fall, when the preliminary draft of a statement produced by the extraordinary Synod on the Family inspired New York Times columnist Ross Douthat to warn ominously about the possibility of a schism in the church if the Vatican loosens doctrinal strictures against divorced (and remarried) lay people receiving the sacrament of Communion.

But most Catholic conservatives have held their tongues, working to put a positive spin on papal pronouncements that many of them find increasingly alarming. (Sure the pope’s denunciations of capitalism are galling, but listen to his passionate attacks on abortion! Yes, Francis is far too nice to gays, but he gave such an inspiring speech on the last day of the Synod!)

So far, the tactic has worked — at least until now.

Interestingly, the decisive provocation appears to be the pope’s forthcoming encyclical on the environment.

On Jan. 3, Robert P. George assured readers at First Things that they could safely ignore whatever the pope might say about climate change because his arguments would be based on contestable empirical claims about which Francis possesses no special expertise. Two days later, author Maureen Mullarkey wrote a blistering blog post, also at FT, in which she went much further — to condemned the pope as “an ideologue and a meddlesome egoist” who views “man as a parasite” and “sullies his office by using demagogic formulations to bully the populace into reflexive climate action with no more substantive guide than theologized propaganda.” (FT editor R.R. Reno disowned the Mullarkey post later in the week.)

Finally, on the same day that Mullarkey’s post appeared, Catholic columnist Steve Moore denounced Francis in Forbes, calling his public policy pronouncements on economics and the environment a “complete disaster” that show that he’s “allied himself with the far left and has embraced an ideology that would make people poorer and less free.”

Looks like the honeymoon is finally over.

The question is why now — and why over the environment of all things?

The answer, I think, is that the environment, in itself, has very little to do with it. The problem is simply that Francis has broken from too many elements in the Republican Party platform. First there were affirming statements about homosexuality. Then harsh words for capitalism and trickle-down economics. And now climate change. That, it seems, is a bridge too far. Francis has put conservative American Catholics in the position of having to choose between the pope and the GOP. It should surprise no one that they’re siding with the Republicans.

Under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, a number of neoconservative Catholics (or theocons) went out of their way to make the case for the deep compatibility between Catholicism and the GOP. But not just compatibility: more like symbiosis. For Richard John Neuhaus, Michael Novak, George Weigel, and their allies, the GOP would serve as a vehicle for injecting Catholic moral and social ideas into American political culture — while those Catholics ideas, in turn, would galvanize the Republican Party, lending theological gravity and purpose to its agenda and priorities.

In the hands of the theocons, the Republican platform became more than a parochially American mishmash of positions thrown haphazardly together for contingent historical reasons. Rather, it was a unified statement of High Moral Truth rooted in Thomas Aquinas’ medieval theology of natural law — the most highly developed outgrowth of Christian civilization.

Opposition to abortion was bound up with hostility to euthanasia and same-sex marriage as well as with support for domestic policies that encourage traditional family life — with all of these flowing from an overarching commitment to a “culture of life” and resistance to a “culture of death.” This commitment also justified an assertive American foreign policy that championed freedom, imposed global order, and upheld the highest standards of international justice. And of course, the vision of the free society that guided American foreign policy was one with relatively low taxes and minimal government regulations in which the primary burden of charity and other support for the poor falls primarily on individuals and local communities.

To be a devout Catholic and a conservative Republican in the three decades separating Ronald Reagan’s first term and the start of Pope Francis’s pontificate in March 2013 was to feel virtually no tension between one’s political and theological commitments. Which isn’t to say that conflicts never arose. Occasionally they did — when John Paul or Benedict spoke out against the death penalty, pointed out injustices endemic to capitalism, or expressed concerns about the latest American war. But there was always a theoconservative writer at the ready, willing and eager to accentuate continuities with the GOP and explain away the difficulties.

That has become ever more untenable in the 22 months since Francis became pope, as the points of divergence have multiplied. With the release of an encyclical that looks likely to break forcefully with the climate-change denialism that has become a fixture of the Republican mind, American conservatives appear to have reached a moment of decision: Should they side with the party or the pontiff?

Mullarkey and Moore, at least, have made it very clear where they stand: with the GOP and against the pope. Robert George, meanwhile, remains committed to the old theocon strategy of explaining away the difficulties — of telling Catholic Republicans that there’s no need to choose, because GOP ideology and Catholic social teaching go together just as easily and happily as ever.

Except that, increasingly, they don’t — as more and more Catholic Republicans are coming to understand.

The war is underway, and there may well be nothing the theocons can do to stop it.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Victims Of SCOAN Tragedy ‘Had An Appointment With God’ -T.B. JOSHUA speaks

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Read Time:3 Minute, 17 Second

An exclusive interview with the popular Nigerian pastor T.B. Joshua appeared on the pages of the official magazine of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN).

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About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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I Would’ve Closed Fr.Mbaka’s Adoration Ground If I Was His Bishop – Cardinal Okogie

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Retired Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, explains why the clergy should not mix religion with politics.

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About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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