The Church Has Lost Its Direction, and Failed Society – Bishop Paul Obinwaogu
Bishop Adol Paul Obinwaogu is the presiding bishop of the Redeemed Pillar of Fire Praying Mission Inc., Aswani, Isolo, Lagos.
In this interview, Bishop Obinwaogu shares his thoughts on Nigerian Church leadership and other issues with Gracious Akintayo. Excerpt:
How would you describe the present state of the Church?
Christ is still who He is; He cannot change. But those who call Him don’t follow His way. The Spirit is no longer in the Church. What is in the Church now is flesh. When flesh dominates the spirit, fear comes, and flesh has dominated the Church.
The Church that is supposed to walk in the Spirit is walking in the flesh. Prophecy has taken over God’s word, and prophecy is not God’s Word; it is predicting God’s word to encourage. When the Word left the Church, prophecy took over, and the Church appointed God through people who called themselves, and not people called by God.
Today’s pastors lack sympathy for people; they are only after themselves. When the spirit of solution comes, no pastor is compassionate; flesh desires, and not the Spirit desires.
The Church doesn’t have any problem; people caused the problem in the Church, but the Church has lost its relevance and failed society because religious leaders are not telling the truth for selfish reasons.
Criminals can go to a pastor with money, and the pastor will not tell them to repent; instead, he will be praying for them. Jesus died to kill the flesh so the Spirit can speak; some pastors’ flesh refused to be killed.
Many pastors are walking in the flesh, and flesh has dominated their spirits. Today, the church will tell you to fast, but you cannot fast to suppress a habit you don’t want to let go of.
Biblically, too much fasting is a sin, and too much prayer is also a sin. There are many recycled prayers in the Church today, and the Bible teaches us not to pray like those who don’t have faith or where they are going. Before you ask, God knows what you are asking; the sin of the flesh hinders the answer. If you are close to your father, you cannot tell him your needs, and he will not be concerned to give you.
The abracadabra of receiving it now is destroying the church. The blessings are already there; you only need to put your life right to get them. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and every other thing shall be added. Instead of seeking the kingdom first, we are asking for the kingdom, and you have to connect before you supplicate. You cannot buy what you want when you have not gone to the market.
Prayer is supplication, not connection, and connection is not supplication. You connect first to seek the kingdom and its righteousness. First, think about heaven, not about limousines and private jets. Unfortunately, most of today’s pastors use money from the poor to first live in flamboyance. The Church is a non-profit organisation, but has become a profitable enterprise where God’s word is twisted to merchandise people into buying and selling.
The Word of God gives courage and direction to what you want because God didn’t want His children to suffer or die unfulfilled. He has given to man all he desires, but God did not give man the power to acquire them without faith. Faith is a risk you take to get what you want from God.
What are the solutions to these factors?
The solution is for the Church to return to our foundation, seek repentance, and not allow flesh to lead us.
Let us pursue salvation as a pathway to blessings; if you don’t pursue salvation, you cannot pursue blessings. Seek the kingdom first, and every other thing shall be added. If the church returns to its foundation, God will revive us because we are under grace.
Another thing is, if there is a task force to sort out the chaff from the wheat, not allowing those that God has not called, but pastors, and merchandising people to make money. Almost everyone claims to be a pastor, but they don’t understand that a pastor is someone sent to pass a message across to people.
What advice do you have for Nigerian church leaders?
The Bible says those who know the right thing to do and do not do it, sin. A criminal knows he’s a criminal, and whatever anyone is doing wrong, they know it. Let Church leaders live right with true salvation because a mango tree cannot produce an orange.
Today, the Nigerian Church doesn’t have a leader; people we address as leaders are doctrinal leaders in charge of different denominations. A true Church leader is kingdom-oriented, and not a denominational leader.
What is your opinion on the new generation of pastors and their controversial lifestyles?
God did not call them; they called themselves. If a man does not know how to manage his own life, how can he take care of the church of God? You can’t control your life, and you want to control someone else’s. You cannot give what you don’t have. You have no God in your life, and you want to talk about salvation. Where is that done, and with what testimony?
Most of the young pastors are reincarnations of Judas Iscariot. No matter their education and theological qualifications, what personal encounter do they have with God, and who mentored or discipled them? They need practical guidance to understand what ministry is all about.
Many of them are not saved, taught, trained, mentored, or discipled. Either material gains and fame attract them, or they are sponsored to carry out certain tasks. That’s why their lifestyles attracted controversy. Before Jesus began His ministry, He went out with others to learn and develop. He didn’t just wake up and jump into the ministry, or wear a robe of title in the name of calling.
How do you see the present situation in Nigeria?
Even a blind man knows the situation is bad, and prices of goods are skyrocketing. The country doesn’t have a problem; people caused the problems in this country. Those who know the right thing to do are not doing it.
Nigeria is a blessed country, and God has been faithful. No country is more blessed by God than Nigeria. Every mineral found elsewhere is here, yet other countries use a mineral to become a hero, while we languish in many.
We are in a democracy now, those who call themselves politicians – are they in politics to serve or to pocket our common wealth? Some are doctors, teachers, lawyers, and farmers; do they understand that politics is about service to the people who elected them? If they knew that, they would serve and not be masters.
Jesus was a politician. He was recognised, acknowledged, and called Master. Before leading the disciples, He said, “I am no longer your master; I am your friend.” The disciples, even the less privileged, could get close and relate to Him.
You cannot be a master and reason with the masses. They must be your friends and able to come close to you, to know what they are passing through and to be served.
The problem in Nigeria is that everyone, including those elected, feels like masters and no longer friends.
What is your opinion on the current government?
The current government is still playing their role as master. If they could shed that attitude and adopt the spirit of friendship, no one would fear them. When you tell the truth, you risk unjust arrest and detention, while criminals walk freely without fear.
Most pastors don’t tell the truth to people in power because they have been bought over. When a pastor receives a fat envelope, he can no longer tell the truth. Many pastors have eaten the forbidden fruit and forbidden the truth.
What advice do you have for Christians in politics?
Most Christians in politics are Judas Iscariot, and you can’t be a true Christian politician in this country. You are already one of them, and would have to put your Christianity aside anytime a criminal visits you with a gift.
Similarly, any pastor who depends on a politician’s or a church member’s gift to survive cannot tell the truth. You don’t have the right to challenge them or march against their policy because you’re already part of them.
What advice do you have for Nigerians?
If we can sincerely turn to God and not use what we have to intimidate or destroy others, there will be a turnaround. All we need in this country is with us, but we are not making use of them.
Everyone is duty-bound to respect and appreciate one another. Problems and sicknesses are often evangelists. Without them, no one would run to God; God uses them to evangelise the gospel.
When they come, you sleep where you do not expect, and whatever instruction is given to you, you must obey. They humble you, making you accept what you would have rejected.
Any situation someone finds himself-in is a teacher to others and should not be scorned.
What would you say about the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
Good can turn to bad, and bad can turn to good. He may have good intentions to improve the country’s situation, but his advisers and those around him can be a burden on his intentions. What kind of advice or opinions do they give him? Most of them do not necessarily share his good intentions for this country; many are mainly interested in filling their pockets.
What is your opinion on the 2027 general election?
The 2027 general election is unpredictable. Your predictions may prove wrong because many factors are involved, including monetary and material transactions.
You can only predict and speak what God reveals where there is truth, honesty, and the fear of God. Jesus predicted, saying, ” One of you will betray me”. He didn’t name anyone until the person eager for money was identified.
Nigeria is unpredictable; anyone claiming to predict Nigeria’s 2027 election is a liar. When some people see what they want to eat, they abandon the truth and act accordingly.
Any prediction about Nigeria’s 2027 election may or may not come true, and what you think is right might be wrong because Nigerians might change the voice of God.
Whom did God prepare to take over Israel: David or Saul? They appointed Saul as their leader and poured oil on him, but God chose to prepare and equip David to defeat Goliath, who troubled Saul. After David killed Goliath, God told Samuel to go and anoint him. These are different scenarios: one was appointed with oil, and the other was chosen and anointed.
Nigeria is facing Goliath today; until God chooses and anoints a man to kill Goliath, Saul will remain on the throne, managing Goliath’s situation.
This is one of the problems in Christendom today: pouring is flesh, and anointing is spirit. Many, including criminals, fornicators, deserters, and liars, with oil poured on them, filled the church pulpits and claimed to be anointed.
