The Africa Review in Five highlights African current affairs from a Christian perspective. Listen and subscribe through Youtube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Today is Friday, August 18^th, A.D. 2023. This is The Africa Review in Five, written by Paul Schlehlein and presented by Yamikani Katunga.

Duped by Prosperity

Earlier this month in Nigeria, a 27-year-old man was shot and killed after taking a specially concocted potion he believed would make him invincible to bullet wounds. 

According to the Daily Post in Nigeria, the man was testing a traditional experiment prepared by an indigenous doctor. He told his friend to take hold of the gun, take aim and shoot. His friend complied. After his companion pulled the trigger, the victim collapsed immediately and the shooter fled. 

Sad and bizarre as this tragedy may be, it is no more outlandish than what many Nigerian churches are promising their congregations in their country and around the world. 

For many years, Nigerian pastors like David Oyedepo and Chris Oyakhilome have promised miraculous breakthroughs to their followers if they would only have faith and give to their ministries. Oyedepo is the founder of Winners’ Chapel International, with hundreds of branches of this church all throughout Africa. Churchgoers are promised blessings like new jobs, peace in the family, a miracle car, twin children, and immense financial blessings, while also being protected from illnesses like cancer, pneumonia, and chronic disease. 

Some years ago, Pastor Conrad Mbewe referred to these false promises of health and wealth as “Nigerian Religious Junk”. He argued that the prosperity gospel has found such fertile soil in Africa because it has a long history of African traditional healers promising similar blessings to their attendees. Mbewe writes:

The pastor is the modern witch doctor calling all and sundry to come to him for “deliverance”. Just as the witchdoctor appealed to us by inviting us to see him for spiritual protection or when we were struggling with bad luck, childlessness, joblessness, illness, failure to attract a suitor for marriage or to rise in a job or get a contract, etc., these pastors do precisely the same thing.”

Christians must warn their friends and family about such false teachers in the church today. Such deceivers peddle the word of God for gain and fame. Scripture nowhere says that the life of a Christian will become more comfortable. In fact, it promises just the opposite. Acts 14:22 says, “Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Scripture ensures that all Christians will face trials, even the most mature and those walking closely to Christ. Pastors will get sick and die. Long-time members may struggle to pay the bills. Elders and deacons may very well face persecution. Suffering avoids no one. We live in a fallen world. 

This is in keeping with the promises of Jesus. He assured his people that trials on earth will be many. According to John 16:33, Jesus said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

False teachers like T.B. Joshua, Shepherd Bushiri, Emmanuel Makandiwa, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and Creflo Dollar have promised deliverance from poverty and suffering if their hearers would only believe. But as we have seen, this isn’t true. According to Hebrews 9:27, everyone will one day die. No one can escape death. No one is immortal.

Instead of looking for invincibility on this earth, like the Nigerian man who sought to defeat a speeding bullet, everyone must look to Christ, the author of eternal life. He abolished death. He brought life. He brings immortality to light through the gospel of the cross. This is our hope and nothing else.

And that’s it for The Africa Review in Five on this Friday, August 18^th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe to the Missionary Minds podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts. I’m Yamikani Katunga. Be not weary in well-doing.