My Encounter and Position on Prophet TB Joshua (RIP)!
By: Gracious Akintayo
With recent happenings in our society, especially in Christendom, as a stakeholder and key player, it is pertinent for me to express my opinion. But, I refrain from commenting or writing for the sake of not writing out of emotion, sympathy or bias without clarity or conscience.
For any reasonable, spirit filled and Bible addicted believer (not religious homogeneous and theological bible reading or verses crammer christians), it will not be long to discern what is truth, why is the truth and what proves the truth. You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free, and you shall be free indeed! That is the message.
There are stories, news, messages, prophecies, instructions, testimonies and revelations, with others embedded in a Superlative Book, -(The Bible) for our spiritual and mental understanding, development, guidance, direction and discretion for life and living. We can assume that God has invested so much into our great conscious inventory with everlasting investment for our lives continuous innovation and now left for our choice of what to or not to believe, accept, consume, take or follow.
I will categorically state that the issue of T. B Joshua (may his soul continue to rest in peace) has generated so much furoe, to an extent, people are being confused, misled and misinformed about his personality, ministry and activities. But, to those who are convinced beyond reasonable doubt, who are not emotionally carried away, moved by good deeds and works or massive media promotion; would still take their ground and stand, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them on what to say, when, how and why saying it.
I have taken time to follow as many reports, comments, articles, contributions, news reports, testimonies and revelations about TBJ, his ministries and deeds, as I can.
Some are pleasant, most are not, with few as food for thought and case for study.
There were divergent opinions, but with respect to some senior colleagues who have more close working relationships and associate with TBJ professionally, socially and spiritually. Their accounts were objective, clarify and concise without bias or emotional pretence. They stood out and proved to be reliable insider’s source.
Many other comments and writings are practically based on social interaction and professional relationships without spiritual inclination or knowledge of him.
It was disappointing that most comments and writings including those expected should have discerned and know better, to write concisely and objectively, were flagrantly sensual, emotionally sympathetic, sentimental and lacking in knowledge of what they are writing. They could not draw the line between professional expression and spiritual sensitivity.
Their positions and postures did not help TBJ exit in good light, they created more enemies for him than when he was alive, struggling to make his gentle passage more corporate than family affairs. They raised a social media war to confront, attack and perceived enemies of TBJ.
Some were so careless, reckless and disrespectful, going extra miles without consideration lampooning revered men of God, some who are still bereaved, of not commiserating, condole or visit TBJ’s family, when in actual facts, neither himself, his ministry or family has any known or related friendship, fellowship or whatsoever relationship with any of these elderly and respected Men of God, except that, he is also a Nigerian Christian, a popular minister with his own ministry. They unnecessarily accused CAN and PFN bodies, which he had no affinity, relationship, fellowship or friendship with, of hatred, envy and neglect after death.
Though, laughable, but too bad. Because, “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (not of academic, religion or theology), forgetting that, God uses the foolish things to compound the wise and things of the spirit are foolishness to the flesh. They couldn’t reason enough before making a comment.
By the grace of God, I was once privileged and opportuned to meet TBJ and have one-on-one encounter with him and that singular meeting with soul searching experience brought about a lot of fundamental questions begging for answers that would have gone a long way and speaks volume. Most of which he dodged during my meeting with him and instead requested to reschedule the meeting which I deliberately failed to keep due to my unpleasant and allergenic experience at the first meeting.
On my way out of his office, he instructed that I should be given transport fare and other printed souvenirs for study, pending my next meeting with him, when we will fully discuss, also on how to fund my publication. I was given the cash of N5,000 smelling of powerful perfume in an envelope with the printed souvenirs, which on getting to the office and going through, my spirit refused to agree with the contents and was not comfortable with them being in my office. I have to throw them away. For the money, you may ask, I used it to cover my transport expenditures thro and fro Fadeyi to Ikotun on about four or five visits before eventual meeting with him.
Meanwhile, based on an invitation to attend their services, which I did on two occasions, including an all night.
Five major occurrences remained indelible to me during those visits; (1) it was my first close meeting with Daniel Amokachi and greeting him. He was then in the church, also supervising one of the shopping outlet (2) I witnessed and observed people being paid for faking testimonies (3) people were brainwashed in place of bible teaching (4) there were no traces of Bible or organised Bible study (5) racist: two shopping outlets operates within the church premises, one for local currency and the other for foreign currency patrons.
Notwithstanding, there are different divergences of the spirit and reason, the Bible says, test all spirits to know that which is true. Because, spirit begets spirit and only the deep can call into the deep (not the deep calling into the floating or the sheep calling into the goat).
There are motions, manipulations, machination, sorcery and divination spirits deceitfully similarly operating along with the Holy Spirit. But, we have been forewarned and prepared to look out, they will look and work exactly the same way, compete and mix like genuine spirit. This is where the proof of your standing will be determined by the genuine spirit of God and your knowledge of His Word. Jesus Christ had a similar experience with Satan on Mt. Olive.
Good deeds and works with media publicity and popularity is not enough proof or criteria for ministerial calling or blessing. The devil also call, anoint and blesses his own people to minister and likewise do similarly as genuine people of God, in order to create confusion, distraction and distortions.
TBJ was NOT evil, human enemy or subject of hatred by anyone or body, but his inability to clarify and prove his genuineness as minister of God to most people and the body of Christ contributed to his self isolation and disenfranchising. Even when he arranged and organized to pass through Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, but could not due to misrepresentation of sincerity.
Paul the apostle, who wrote most part of the New Testament, did not know or walk physically with Jesus Christ, until He appeared to him, still after Paul’s call, he was instructed to report to elderly disciples, including Peter. Which he submissively did and not only did he work with them, he fellowship and associate with them in the same spirit.
No doubt, TBJ is God’s wonderful creation with a purpose. But, there yet to be convincing proof of God’s leading and direction in his ministry. He may surely have the call of God into the ministry that may perchance be manipulated by the devil having found a gullible weakness in him which he, TBJ may not know or realise.
Just like Judas Iscariot could not realized his greed will later be an albatross to his life and ministry’s destiny as that was what played on him to betrayed Jesus; if Pharaoh have realized his power drunk spirit and stubbornness will lead to his red sea catastrophe, he would have amicably resolved issues with Moses to avoid the attendant losses. Gehazi was also another example of secret destructive character. Same destruction would have befell Peter, but his quick realisation and genuine repentance to choose differently the path of available solution saved him.
Apparently, nothing comes by surprise, if despite your imperfections, you are still conversant with Bible study and personal relationship as a lifestyle spiritual manual and still chase or lust after God, always panting after the brook of His water in truth and in the spirit, you cannot be swayed or carried away by any errotic report or breeze, you will rather stay focus on that which you are drinking from.
If TBJ had proved his salvation experience and confirmed the validation of his ministry, his transition burial would not have raised corporate chaos, but would rather be corporate handled like some others and more celebrated, than uprising controversies and mudsliding that trails his passage.
Apart from the fact that Jesus associates, relates and fellowship with other existing ministries and ministers, including Pharisees and Sadducees. He never goes or does ministry alone forsaking relationships and gathering of brethren. This is why He’s either with His disciples, in the temple, among the people, with Pharisees and Sadducees when not alone during His quiet and personal devotion with the Father.
Needless to say, any purposeful minister of God requires and needs to have an established relationship, reference and training with mentoring that will validate and confirm the testimony of their ministerial callings. It is a parlace, “if you don’t have a reference, you cannot be referred to” and “if you don’t have a father, you cannot go far”. The Bible instructed, “honour your parents in the Lord” and God spoke through Jeremiah saying, “I will give you a Pastor after My own heart” and Jesus confirmed and established them, declaring, “I am in the Father, the Father is in me….” (John 14:7,11 and 20).
Therefore, there is always a place for spiritual parenting, upbringing and leadership that must be honoured. The question will always remain, where are you coming from, who is your father, mentor or teacher and which family do you belong to and who is your reference? What has been your upbringing and encounter experience? Without which, you can boldly respond, then there is a question mark about your personality identity.
Even as a bastard, you must have a guardian or reference. It is only a thief that enters through the window and a vagabond that has no reference. But if you are genuine and not a thief or a vagabond, you will definitely enter through the door, either by knock or by push and have reference.
Thank you.
