Monday 30 November 2009

Uganda's President Museveni Named in a US Christian Cult, The Family

Uganda's President Museveni Named in a US Christian Cult, The Family


http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/390-ugandas-president-museveni-named-in-a-us-evangelical-cult-the-family.html


Kato Mivule | November 27, 2009

For those who have been following Evangelical Christianity in East Africa will know that the story below of African Politicians being manipulated, used, and controlled by false Christians from the West, is not a new story but this has been going on for some time.

Dominionists and Political Christians from Peter Wagner and his Global Apostles, George Ortis and his false Revival Reports (Transformations), and now ‘The Family’ have all been pushing a false Christian Movement in East Africa bent on acquiring and maintaining Political Power.

Born Again Christians are simply seen as Political Tools and their Leaders as puppets. Yet Born Again Christians refuse to discern this important issue. The so-called Fight Against Homosexuals is being used by Politicians to continue cementing their inroads activity inside Born Again Churches. What ‘The Family’ is replicating in Africa is simply another version of Right Wing Political Christian Lunacy and Madness in America and every Born Again Christian in Africa should reject such associations.

President Museveni is NOT a True Born Again Christian as widely reported by Uganda's Evangelical Christians but simply manipulating undiscerning Christians in Uganda for Political gain. It is a shame that folks like George Ortis and Peter Wagner keep promoting stories of “Transformations” and a false revival in Uganda, yet the reality is that they are simply promoting ideologies of ‘The Family’…the real “Transformation” in Uganda is that’ The Family’ has had such powerful political influence Uganda and the Evangelical Christians there did not even know it.

Museveni, Bahati, named in US ‘cult’


The Observer |November 25, 2009

NEW YORK: President Museveni, Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo and MP David Bahati have been linked to a shadowy religious fundamentalist group in the United States known as the ‘The Family’.

The group, comprising a number of influential congressmen, senators and other people in strategic positions, works secretively to promote its political, economic and religious ideas, some of them controversial, in the United States and across the world.

According to journalist, academic and author Jeff Sharlett, who has spent years researching on The Family, its core agenda includes fighting homosexuality and abortion, promoting free-market economics and dictatorship, an idea they once termed “totalitarianism for Christ”.

It recruits people in positions of power and influence to promote its agenda and, according to Sharlett, the group has had its sights on Uganda for over 20 years. He also says the group is behind the anti-gay legislation recently tabled in Parliament by Ndorwa West MP, David Bahati, which proposes the death penalty for men who have gay sex with disabled people, under-18s, or when the accused is HIV-positive.

In an extensive interview with National Public Radio (NPR), a privately and publicly funded non-profit radio network in the United States, Jeff Sharlett said that The Family identified President Museveni as their “key man in Africa” in 1986.

Individuals working for both the US government and The Family, he said, undertook trips to Uganda “to reach out to Museveni to make sure that he came into the American sphere of influence [and] that Uganda, in effect, becomes our proxy in the region”.

“They wanted to steer him away from neutrality or leftist sympathies and bring him into conservative American alliances, and they were able to do so. They’ve since promoted Uganda as this bright spot - as I say, as this bright spot for African democracy, despite the fact that under their tutelage, Museveni has slowly shifted away from any even veneer of democracy: imprisoning journalists, tampering with elections, supporting - strongly supporting this Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009,” he said.

The Family in Uganda


'The Family' Fellowship Members In Uganda, From The Left: Minister of Ethics Dr. Nsaba Buturo, MP Bahati, and President Museveni- Image Source: The Observer

Describing Museveni as a “core” member of the group, Jeff Sharlett alleged that President Museveni visits, spends time and “sits down for counsel” with Doug Coe, the leader of The Family, at the group’s headquarters at a place called The Cedars in Arlington, Virginia.

This Doug Coe, with whom Uganda’s President reportedly consults, is the same man who believes that ruthless dictators such as Hitler, Stalin and Mao mirror Jesus’ central message on power. Sharlett says that Core members of The Family participate in deciding the group’s agenda, a privilege not enjoyed by other members of the group.

More power, less love

One of The Family’s central ideas, according to Jeff Sharlett, is that Jesus Christ’s message was not about love, mercy, justice or forgiveness. Rather, it was about power. The group says that Jesus didn’t come to take sides, he came to take over.

“Doug Coe, the leader of the group, tries to illustrate this, for instance, by saying, sort of posing a puzzle: name three men in the 20th Century who best understood that message of The New Testament. And most people are going to say someone like Martin Luther King, or Bonhoeffer; or maybe the more conservative, they can say, [evangelist] Billy Graham.

And Coe likes to give an answer - Hitler, Stalin and Mao, which just makes your jaw drop. And he will say - he’s quick to say these are evil men, but they understood power. And that message recurs again, and again, and again in The Family,” Sharlett said.

Sharlett, who spent time within The Family as an undercover researcher, given access to its leaders and archives, said that the group actively promotes dictators in pursuit of its economic and other interests. Because of its influence in Washington, the seat of the American government, foreign leaders find it in their interest to associate with the group.

Senator Tom Coburn, who also sits on the Senate Arms Forces Committee, is quoted to have said he has been on a mission to Uganda to “promote the political philosophy of Jesus as taught to him by Doug Coe.”

The group, Jeff Sharlett told NPR, creates “an invisible believing group of God-led politicians who get together and talk with one another about what God wants them to do in their leadership capacity. And that’s the nature of their relationship with Museveni.”

The Family, according to Sharlett, helped the Museveni family and other top politicians to start the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Uganda, to which it sends representatives, as a parallel to the United States National Prayer Breakfast the group has been running since 1935. This is the only group’s public event, which it uses to recruit new members.

The US National Prayer Breakfast has been attended by all American presidents since the 1950s.

Jeff Sharlett says he has established in recent investigations that the group has been channeling money to Uganda to promote its activities, including the anti-gay Bill.

Following paper trails, he discovered that the money was channeled through an “African leadership academy” called Cornerstone which runs a Youth Corps programme described as an “invisible family binding together world leaders” and an organisation called the “African Youth Leadership Forum” associated with MP David Bahati.

“The Family has poured millions of dollars working through a very convoluted chain of linkages passing the money over to Uganda,” he said. According to Jeff Sharlett, in Uganda, Museveni, Buturo and Bahati are not merely under the influence of The Family but they are, in effect, The Family.

The Observer tried to get MP Bahati to shed some light on these claims but he could not be reached on all known telephone numbers. Neither could we speak to Ethics and Integrity Minister, James Nsaba Buturo, as he did not answer his phone.

Presidential Press Secretary, Tamale Mirundi, said he was neither aware of an organisation called The Family nor of any relationship between it and President Museveni. But should such ties exist, Mirundi said, he would not be surprised.

“What would amaze me is if the President were associated with a group that is pro-homosexuality,” Mirundi told The Observer by phone. “But if the President is associated with a group opposed to homosexuality [I would not be amazed] because he has made his position on homosexuality very clear.”

Cash and sex

While The Family claims, on the surface at least, to promote family values, some of its more influential members have been ensnared by high-profile sexual scandals. In the latest scandal, Senator John Ensign of Nevada is alleged to have had an affair with the wife of a top aide, Doug Hampton and, on the advice of The Family, tried to buy Hampton off with $1.2 million.

The Family, also known as The Fellowship, was founded in the United States in 1935. According to its founder, Abraham Verene, God came to him one night in April, 1935, and told him that Christianity has been focusing on the wrong people, the poor and the suffering, “the down and out”.

He commanded him to be a missionary to and for the powerful, the “up and out”, who could then pass off the blessings to everybody else. The group does not maintain a website and prohibits its members from speaking about its activities.

Jeff Sharlett’s 2008 bestseller, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, is the most comprehensive expose of the group yet.

Other Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fellowship_%28Christian_organization%29

Thursday 19 November 2009

Hey! London, the Occultist is coming : Kakande asked to set up church in UK

Kakande asked to set up church in UK

The Sunday Monitor, November 15, 2009

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/political_grapevine/Poison_rumours_scare_ministers_MPs.shtml

Ladies and Gentlemen: We reported in these pages sometime back that several politicians were jostling to meet Pastor Samuel Kakande of the Synagogue Church of All Nations. It seems the jostling has paid off for him.

Grapevine has learnt that some politicians convinced preachers from UK to help Kakande expand his healing empire to London. Upon the urging of a top government official, a delegation from Derby, UK has called on Uganda’s Pastor Kakande to set up a similar church there in order to address their countrymen and women’s social problems.
Pastor Dr Simon Peter William who led a three-man delegation to Uganda to find out how born again churches operate here, told reporters that he was amazed by the healing power he found at Pastor Kakande’s church and he offered his second house in Luton city to be converted into a church for Kakande.

Some tourists are said to have taken videotapes of Kakande’s healing miracles.
One politician is said to have told the visiting pastors that had it not been for Kakande, he wouldn’t have retained his ministerial post. We hope politicians in UK also believe in miracles to retain their jobs.

Tuesday 17 November 2009

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI PARTICIPATES IN OCCULT WEDDING PRESIDED OVER BY PROPHET SAMUEL KAKANDE

Translation

Kakande weds couple after slaying it in the spirit

http://www.bukedde.co.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14988:kakande-abagole-abagasse-bebase&catid=3:ssanyu&Itemid=584

By Joseph Mutebi

Monday, 16 November 2009 16:19

Pastor Kakande of synagogue church of all Nations, Gayaza road(2 Kilometers from Kampala) wedded a couple which made marriage vows while lying on their backs. President Museveni was one of the guests who witnessed Nakimera daughter of prince Charles Mutebi Ssimbwa of Lubaga and Joshua Mangi son of Mrs. Kyakabale an NRM political mobiliser in the office of the president, make marriage vows.

Kakande first welcomed the president, then he stood in front of the bride and bride groom, looked into their faces, lifted is head and chest up and down(like a gecko), as he did this, the couple started moving back wards and then fell down(sleigh in the spirit). As they were lying on their backs he prayed for them and made them make wows on their backs.

After wedding the couple, Kakande showed president Museveni a film of his projects in Masindi which include a rice farm and maize farm. He requested the president to avail him land for agricultural purposes. Museveni appreciated the way pastor kakande pastors his sheep; Kakande not only preaches the gospel but also teaches his sheep to work hard.

He requested pastor Kakande to teach his followers how to save money and thereafter invest it wisely.


However the people residing in the neighborhood of Kakande’s church, in areas such as Gayaza, Mulago, Wandegeya, Kaleerwe and Bwaise were greatly inconvenienced by the a traffic jam(caused by this wedding) which lasted about three hours.


Original article in Luganda

Kakande abagole abagasse bebase

http://www.bukedde.co.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14988:kakande-abagole-abagasse-bebase&catid=3:ssanyu&Itemid=584


Bya Joseph Mutebi

Monday, 16 November 2009 16:19

OMUSUMBA Samuel Kakande ow’ekkanisa ya Synagogue of All Nations Kubbiri ku lw’e Gayaza yagasse abagole nga beebase wansi batunudde waggulu.
Pulezidenti Museveni y’omu ku baabaddewo mu kugatta Rebecca Nakimera muwala w’Omulangira Charles Mutebi Ssimbwa e Lubaga ne Joshua Mangi mutabani wa Muky. Kyakabale akolera mu Ofiisi ya Pulezidenti ng’omukunzi w’ekibiina kya NRM.

Kakande eyasoose okwaniriza Pulezidenti yayimiridde abagole mu maaso nga n’atandika okukutama nga n’abagole bwe badda emabega omutwe bwe yagutunuza gye bali ne bagwa wansi era wano we yabasabidde.

Ng’amaze okugatta abagole, Kakande yalaze Pulezidenti firiimu y’ebintu by’alima e Masindi omuli kasooli n’omuceere n’amusaba amufunireyo ettaka kw’alimira.
Museveni yasiimye engeri omusumba Kakande gy’asumbamu endiga ze nga takoma ku kubuulira njiri yokka wabula n’abayigiriza n’okukola.

Yamusabye ayigirize abagobereezi be bwe batereka ensimbi n’okubako kye bazikolamu ekyamagezi.

Wabula abantu b’omu bitundu ebyettolodde ekkanisa eno okuli abava ku luguudo lwe Gayaza, Mulago, Wandegeya, Kaleerwe ne Bwaise baabonyebonye olw’entambula eyagootaanye ku nguudo zino okumala ssaawa kumpi nga ssatu nga zisibiddwa.

Museveni commends Pastor Kakande over food project

Sunday, 15th November, 2009

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/18/701277

Pastor Kakande (right) praying for Mangi and Nakimera



By Joyce Namutebi

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has commended Pastor Samuel Kakande for preaching the gospel and praying for the sick.

Museveni also lauded the pastor for starting agricultural projects, saying he was following in the footsteps of Jesus, who also preached the gospel, healed the sick and fed multitudes.

The President was speaking at the wedding ceremony of Joshua Mangi and Rebecca Nakimera at Kakande’s Synagogue Church of All Nations at Mulago on Saturday.

Mangi is the son of Joy Kyakabale, who works in the Office of the President as mobiliser, while Nakimera is the daughter of the late Prince Charles Mutebi Ssimbwa and Alice Kayiira of Rubaga.

During the service, Kakande showed a video footage of his maize and rice farm in Masindi, and another where he was praying for the sick at his church, including UPDF soldiers.

Kakande said he set up the project in Masindi after realising that most of the people who came for healing lacked jobs.

He explained that after they are healed, some of the members work at the farm, where they earn a living.

Responding to Kakande’s appeal for land, Museveni said he was looking at the possibility of either lending government land or selling it to the church for farming.

He urged Kakande to teach his followers about saving and investment.
The President also donated two cows to the couple.

Kyakabale, a member of Kakande’s church, thanked the President for caring for her son and promised to mobilise support for him in the 2011 elections.


Also see

Prophet Kakande and his third Pilipino wife Citia Popanes


http://www.bukeddekussande.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=3&newsCategoryId=186&newsId=684591 (Bukedde, Saturday, 13th June, 2009)

Scandal As Pastor Kakande Weds Fifth Time

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/06/kakande-ministries-prophet-samuel.html

Prophetess Lois Nana, former wife of Prophet Samuel Kakande
http://www.prophetjohnfoundationchurch.4t.com/whats_new.html

President Museveni Performs Satanic Ritual
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/58/60/527983/Museveni%20in%20Sudan

Occultism in Uganda’s Pentecostal churches

http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/328-why-pastor-solomon-male-was-disowned-by-pastor-joseph-sserwada-and-pharisees-inc.html


Buganda Crisis, Ugandan Evangelicals, Ssabalokole, and the Future


http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/commentaries/375-buganda-crisis-ugandan-evangelicals-ssabalokole-and-the-future.html

Nigerian Prophet TB Joshua
and Prophet Samuel Kakande have the same anointing



http://www.truthwatch.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=103
http://www.truthwatch.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=Search&file=index&action=search&active_stories=1&stories_topics[0]=7

Monday 16 November 2009

Ugandan Prosperity Occult Pastors take their antics to NBS TV : Exposing Apostle Semakula Deo and Prophet Mbuya Sebastain

"Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?" -Psalm 94:16


For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.(Philippians 3: 18-19)

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them( I John 4:5)


"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..." -Psalm 97:10

Every morning between 6:00am and 7:00am, NBS TV is awash with the antics of occult pastors. The first one to display his antics, is the so called Nabbi Jumba Sebastiann, of Deliverance power centre International,Lweza, Kitega zone , Mukono and the next is the notorious Apostle Semakula Deo, of Holy Ghost Tower of Power, Maganjo(6Km from Kampala).The antics of Prophet Mbuya include; sleighing people in the spirit by falling down, sleighing people in the spirit by jumping up and down like a monkey.

The testimonies of the followers of Mbuya show how deluded prosperity balokole have gotten. One woman thanked God because previously her 'men' were not giving her anything but now they do. Another man thanked God for giving him a phone which he picked(what a thief!!). Prophet Mbuya is very ‘wise’, he holds the microphone as people testify, and quickly removes the mike from any person who is giving a silly testimony (a testimony that exposes the occult nature of Mbuya). Like the occult T.B.Joshua of Nigeria, a woman is said to have delivered during one of Prophet Mbuya’s services.

Prophet Sebastian Mbuya’s Political Christianity

This Sunday, 15th November, 2009, Prophet Mbuya invited all people who want to contest for political offices on an NRM Ticket in 2011. He told them to come with their NRM membership cards as evidence. He argues that he is being harassed for being a Museveni supporter. All occult pastors in Uganda have learned the trick of identifying with the ruling government in order to avoid any investigation.

Prophet Sebastian Mbuya’s Acid Anointing

On 31st December, 2009 Prophet Sebastian Mbuya has organized ‘free’ prayers for his followers. In these so called deliverance prayers every one is supposed to pay 30,000Uganda shillings. While advertising these prayers on NBS TV, people are invited to come because ‘Jesus has paid’. This thief tells people to come because Jesus has paid yet everyone is supposed to pay 30,000 Uganda shillings. How will these serpents and vipers escape the damnation of hell???


Apostle Semakula Deo’s Occult necklace

Apostle Semakula Deo is one the greatest occult pastors in Kawempe region. This guy is very open, check him out on NBS with an occult inverted necklace. How can a man of God put on an occult necklace. Born again Christian zombies in Uganda do not have the slightest discernment to see an occult pastor through an occult necklace. These pastors never preach about sin, all they preach about is going to the next level, over coming witchcraft etc.

Why women are full of these occult churches!!

In Uganda women and men frequent witch doctors to solve their problems. Due to the patriarchal nature of the Ugandan society, women are so oppressed and in most of the cases they resort to witchcraft. Now, when these women get ‘born again’, they come with a shrine mentality, they want somebody to prophecy about their lives, they want to come to Jesus through a medium. Many so called born again women move from shrine church to shrine church, looking for miracles among which are bewitching their enemies (co-wives).

Do you know that some women have been raped by pastors. Some women and men have stupidly taken money to pastors to be prayed for. There is a woman who took 200 million Uganda shillings to a pastor to be prayed for. The pastor told her that she should not start constructing a storied house before bringing the money. She gave the money to the pastor who ate it instead. Many people have lost money this way. Such individuals keep quiete because they fear to be physically or spiritually killed by these occult pastors. Remember these are people coming out Catholicism and religiosity. The government is aware of these evil pastors but it has decided to protect them because they promote it politically. Flee these serpent pastors now.

You Ugandan !! Born again Christians, who has bewitched you???

I left the prosperity church where I was ministering a couple of months back. I could not stand the naivety of the pastors and ministers there. I frequently warned these guys about American apostasy, sound doctrine, and the dangers of the prosperity gospel. They thought I was a fool. What I did was to walk out of this church. The pastor has turned the church into a personal business; he hates accountability and is so greedy for money and power. Some members of this church tell me to come back and serve God. How funny!! How can you serve God with people who hold doctrines of devils?

We have churches where pastors have married over two wives but surprisingly Christians continue to flood these churches. They argue that we should take our focus from people and serve God. How can you serve God in the devils’ shrine?? These Christians are as hypocritical as their pastors. They know that the Lord Jesus Christ has never saved their pastor from his/her sin, but enjoy the prosperity lies of their pastors. They enjoy a pastor who does not confront them of their sin. They even join their pastor to fight the sin and discernment preachers. It is better to stay at home while you patiently look for true born again Christians than to stay in the territory of these venomous pastors’ serpents. The days are very evil indeed and therefore I urge you to walk circumspectly not as fools. AMEN

SEE, related stories

Suspected Cult members held

http://allafrica.com/stories/200910010169.html


The new Vision, 30th September, 2009

Herbert Ssempogo,

Kampala — THE Police in Mukono are holding 14 people, among them two security personnel and a pastor, Sebastian Mbuya, suspected to be cult members.
Following a tip, the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) personnel on Sunday stormed the Deliverance Power Centre and picked the suspects. They were led to the RRU head office in Kireka, a Kampala suburb, where they were still being held by yesterday morning.

The Police said Mbuya was duping the congregation into believing that he had special powers, was extorting them and was child sacrifice. Mbuya also claimed to help barren women have children.

The activities of the church are being investigated by the C ID and the suspects are due for interrogation. The two security personnel were only identified as a police woman and a UPDF soldier.

Meanwhile, a centre official, Pastor Madinah Kagoye, recorded a statement in which she denied any wrongdoing. Along with other church members, she demanded the release of the suspects.

In a related incident, the Police in Luweero recently arrested over five people, who allegedly belonged to a cult whose members do not eat cooked food.

Anglicans to Pope - We're Staying Put

Anglicans to Pope - We're Staying Put


The Monitor, 12 November 2009

http://allafrica.com/stories/200911120836.html

Tabu Butagira,

Kampala — Anglicans in Uganda yesterday rallied behind conservative colleagues around the world to reject an open-ended invite to them by Pope Benedict XIV to embrace the Catholic faith.

"We are convinced that this is not the time to abandon the Anglican Communion," Mr Peter Abuja, the chairman of the Global Anglican Future (Gafcon), said in a Tuesday statement that Church of Uganda (CoU) endorsed.

Yesterday, Ms Amanda Onapito, CoU's newly-promoted communications director, said they "fully subscribe to Gafcon and all its views".

Uganda last year teamed with other conformist churches representing some 30 million Anglicans around the world to found Gafcon at a symposium in Jerusalem as a parallel forum to profess strict adherence to the scriptures.

The conservatives are angry over mainstream Anglican church's tolerance - some say acceptance - of openly gay bishops, especially in the US, Canada and Australia.

Gay factor

Anglicans have also been struggling for unity under their spiritual head Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, over issues such as allowing women become bishops and alleged digression from biblical teaching by liberals.

On October 20, Cardinal William Levada, the prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced the 'Apostolic Constitution' which enables followers not at peace in the Anglican Communion to convert to Catholicism without pre-condition.

The Vatican, in the surprise offer, said converts would, however, "preserve elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony."

The Gafcon position that Uganda solidly endorses, suggests the Vatican's "unprecedented" offer, whereas "gracious", appears calculated to exploit divisions among Anglicans over homosexuality. The remedy, they said, is to end the "shameful" digressions from the cardinal biblical teachings, not re-bounding to the Catholic Church that Anglicans abandoned during the 16th century Reformation over theological issues and the primacy of the Pope.

"The failure to fully address the abandonment of biblical faith and practice by The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada has now brought shame to the name of Christ and seriously impedes the cause of the Gospel," Tuesday's statement reads in part.

Grave indictment

The leaders of the 30 million strong Gafcon said the Vatican invite represented a grave indictment of the "Instruments of the [Anglican] Communion" but they "remain proud inheritors of the Anglican Reformation".

Last year's divisions basically over gays forced some orthodox parishes/dioceses in the US and Australia to break away and form their own churches or partner with selected Anglican churches, Church of Uganda inclusive, seen to uphold conservative religious values.

Vatican's surprise offer that could potentially witness married but willing Anglican clerics join robed ranks in the Catholic Church has ignited lively debate on whether ground was being prepared to let hitherto celibate Catholic priests marry like the converts.

It is this possibility that is unsettling Anglican leaders that the proposed cross-denominational shift, rather than promote unity, would stoke tension over raid on its congregation.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

The Temptations of a Man Pleasing Gospel in These Last Days

The Temptations of a Man Pleasing Gospel in These Last Days

http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/discernment/388-the-temptations-of-a-man-pleasing-gospel-in-these-last-days.html

Kato Mivule | November 9, 2009

As global society converges towards a single global economic, political, and religious system, those who preach and labor in God’s Word are finding themselves increasingly at odds with Christians who are falling prey to Global Relativism.

Increasingly as I noted in my article last week (Receiving God’s Word with Humility in These Last Days), many preachers are caught up in the game of ‘diplomacy’ and so-called ‘tact’ as they try to convey God’s Truth in ways that they claim are ‘none offensive’ to their listeners. In doing so, many have watered down God’s Truth and the Devil has used the opportunity to not only dilute the Truth in God’s Word but also inject deception.

Many preachers think that they need to help The Lord with dexterity and diplomacy so as to ‘win over’ those who would otherwise be offended. The Lord’s Word is seen as too radical and too offensive by such preachers.

This, however, does not mean that we should not preach or teach God’s Word in Love, we must and but we cannot engage in adding or removing Truth we deem offensive in order to please our listeners in the name of Love. This does not mean that we ‘force the Gospel’ on people, nor are we called to use any means of violence, intimidation, hate, or vengeance in our communication of the gospel.

However, if we are going to preach the Gospel, then we had better communicate the whole truth and not conceal Truth in as to appease our listeners. We cannot separate God’s Truth in His Word from His Love and His Love from His Truth.

The temptation to use tact and diplomacy in preaching the gospel often leads to compromise and deception. Often many equate tact and diplomacy as love while they preach the gospel. There is nothing wrong to employ tact and diplomacy in conveying truth, however, many preachers and pastors today often use tact and diplomacy not to convey truth but instead to win over converts – it turns out to be a numbers game and appeasing people to gain large crowds.

The end result is that the convert who was won over has to be ‘maintained’ in the church pew through ‘tact’ and ‘diplomacy’. The day the pastor stands to preach truth openly, then the offensive truth that was held back by the pastor drives away the believers, and as such a drop in the congregation numbers. This reminds me of an African proverb that ‘Riches gained through lies are maintained by lies until the day they speak truth….’

Jesus Christ had to deal with this issue when He made bread for the Jews and a large crowd came following Him not for His message but for Bread and Miracles. When Jesus Christ begun to teach hard Truth, the crowd was offended and walked away except for his core disciples who chose to stay…

John 6:24-27
(24) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
(25) And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
(26) Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
(27) Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

John 6:31-35
(31) Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
(32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
(33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
(34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:51-57
(51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(52) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
(53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
(54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
(55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
(56) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 6:60-68
(60) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
(61) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
(62) What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
(63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(64) But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
(65) And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
(66) From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
(67) Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
(68) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Paul the apostle wrote to the Thessalonians Christians about his stance when it came to preaching the Word of Truth in Jesus Christ. Paul the apostle was not at anytime going to preach the gospel with motives to please man but rather he was to please The Lord. This does not mean that he did not love the people to listened to him preach; he did, and so much that he was unwilling at anytime to conceal truth from his listeners regardless if it was ‘offensive’. Of course the context and perspective is love but love in Christ Jesus does not conceal truth but conveys truth.

Yet there are a number of lessons to learn from Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians, especially Chapter 2 that deals with his conduct in preaching the Gospel. I believe that these are areas that we must all watch out for in our lives as we labor in preaching the gospel, that we do not allow the devil to slowly use snatch away the Truth of God’s Word in our lives.

2 Timothy 1:11-13
(11) Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
(12) For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
(13) Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Preaching The Gospel not in Timidity…
1 Thessalonians 2:1-2
(1) For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
(2) But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

Paul and his team were bold in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were not ashamed of the gospel as they did preach the gospel in an era when persecuting and killing Christians was wide spread in the Roman Empire. This does not mean that they were arrogant, cocky, and or boastful but rather in Humility spoke with boldness the Truth without not as pleasing man but pleasing God and were willing to suffer the consequences.

Yet this is one area we must all watch out for in these last days as Relativism becomes the norm and Absolute Truth is cast out of churches. The falsehood of tact and diplomacy is that you are often trying to win over the other party at all costs – you are trying to please the other party. Yet Jesus Christ commands us to call all men to Repentance. We are commanded to preach The Gospel of Repentance from sin to All men.

Preaching The Gospel not in Deceit…
1 Thessalonians 2:3
(3) For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

As Christians engage in preaching the gospel through tact and diplomacy, truth is hidden and concealed so as to please the other party and not offend then in the process. As this method of preaching the gospel is repeated over and over again, it becomes normal to preach an incomplete gospel and the end result is a distorted gospel – a deceptive gospel.

I remember in Uganda, Street Preachers used to preach a gospel of repentance on streets but then as the Prosperity Gospel invaded churches, Street Preachers resorted to preaching a gospel saying that “come to Jesus Christ, He will give you everything”… The trouble was that once the new converts got to Church and started to walk a Christian life, they realized that coming to Jesus Christ did not mean “getting everything”…some of these converts backslide…

Yet still the most important point that Paul stresses in the verse above is that the Truth of God’s word be preached in season and out of season. If you are going to preach the Gospel, then preach the Truth and Preach and Teach Sound Bible Doctrine. Paul did not go about preaching falsehoods and fabrications but rather He preached scripture and Sound Bible Doctrine.

The question then is are you preaching the Truth of the Gospel, are the sermons you preach biblical or do they contradict scripture? Are you concealing Truth simply to win over large numbers of converts and to please men? But yet sill Paul speaks of uncleanness and guile which have to do with evil motives, cunningness, cleverness, astuteness, and ingenuity.

The trouble with Preaching a Gospel of using Tact and Diplomacy is that masses get to listen to you, then to keep the masses and large crowds, one has to device means to conceal Truth, then money comes into the mix and the large crowds give lots of money to sustain the ‘man pleasing’ preacher – a teacher who teaches things that they love to hear. The end result is compromise and sin. Brethren, in this age of Relativism, let us watch out.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Preaching the Gospel not to Please Men…
1Thessalonians 2:4
(4) But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Paul mentions to the Thessalonian Christians that The Lord had entrusted him to preach the gospel not as to please man but God who tests our hearts. The mandate to preach the pure gospel was not only entrusted to Paul who is now long gone but to every Christian, that we proclaim the Truth not as pleasing men but God. Yet the Tact and Diplomacy methodology of preaching the gospel will always run into the arena of pleasing the other party and avoiding all forms of messages and truth considered offensive to the other party.

Paul’s proclamation in this verse was not to sound arrogant and boastful but he was avoiding the pitfalls that come with so-called tact and diplomacy in that diplomacy can be very manipulative. Diplomacy can be used by the powerful to gain advantage of the weak by employing trickery to convince and control opponents and thus deny them a chance to respond.

Yet the Gospel we preach is one that gives all men a choice to either believe in Jesus Christ and Repent or refuse and reject The Grace of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore Paul the apostle was not going to preach a gospel that pleased man but rather he was to preach a gospel that called all men to take full responsibility of their spiritual lives and Choose to Follow Jesus Christ or not; preaching the gospel that pleases men denies then that choice.

Galatians 1:8-10
(8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
(9) As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
(10) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Preaching the Gospel not in Flattery and Greed…
1Thessalonians 2:5
(5) For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness:

Of course one of the side offshoots of preaching the gospel through tact and diplomacy is that flattery becomes part of the mix. Often preachers and pastors begin by sweet talking their listeners and in the process Truth is cast aside.

The Listeners who don’t want anything to do with truth will maintain the preacher and will endeavor to keep the preacher paid well. The preacher then becomes a slave to the listeners who hate truth but gather to themselves preachers who teach things itching to their ears. This is the whole essence of the Prosperity Gospel for example; both the preacher and the listener in such settings are co-dependent.

The Listeners uses money, power, and popularity to keep the covetous and greedy preacher in check…the greedy preacher likewise uses a gospel of flattery and sweet talking to keep the large audience. It is in this setting that many popular New York Times Best Selling so-called Christians Books fall today…they are books that conceal Truth and use flattery to sell. Most of such books are always about ‘Self and You’ – sweet talking listeners and readers to perdition.

Flattery always goes along with Greed in Christendom. Show me a Preacher of Prosperity Gospel and I will show you Flattery. Show me a Flattering Preacher, and I will show you greed and covetousness.

Preaching the Gospel not as to Burden the People…
1Thessalonians 2:6
(6) Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Paul gives an antidote to the Gospel of Greed and Flattery, and that is that the preachers of the gospel must be willing to work with their own hands. Paul and his team did not want to become a burden to any of the Christians but rather sought to be a blessing. There is nothing wrong with work and preachers of the gospel in these last days must embrace hard work.

Paul made Tents that he sold off and was able to preach the gospel and even help support those on his team. I know some American Pastors have so much given themselves to the concept of “Full Time Minister” that they wait for the offerings in the basket. This alone often leads to various temptations like publishing Best Selling Books that often are filled with no substance of gospel truth but flattery. Yet for one to publish a New York Best Selling Book, one has to dilute Truth and offer notions that people love to hear – notions that will sell.

Yet this does not mean that the saints did not support Paul and his Team on their mission trips, they did and it was and is a very noble thing to do. However, looking to such offerings for a living is not wise and will often lead true preachers to ‘improvise’ ways to increase such offertory – and one of such ways is through preaching a gospel of flattery.

Secondly, if a preacher will work and support themselves financially then they cut off the temptation to use flatter in preaching the Gospel and will speak the Truth boldly and with no fear that they are controlled by the crowd of listeners who hate listening to truth but simply seek teachers of their like.

In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule

Thoughts on TBN Politicking

Thoughts on TBN Politicking

http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/385-thoughts-on-tbn-politicking.html

Arthur Owiti | November 9, 2009

Has this network tried its sticky fingers in politics, both world and sticky African politics? Is it set up for grand confusion of the masses? A look at TBN’S activities in Africa and the world show how it gets involved in the affairs of those countries. Like any colonial tool, TBN has helped to sanctify American hegemony in the world and license love of the world with scriptures in a subtle way.A few examples would do to solidify this fact.

TBN in Kenya
A few years ago, TBN invited one Evangelical kingpin, Pastor Pius Muiru of Maximum Miracle church to fill them with the lies of how Kenya is becoming Evangelical (apostate) because of TBN. This pastor was interviewed by Paul and Jan Crouch and it was aired on Kenya’s TBN channel.

Later during the elections of 2007, the same Pastor declared that God had told him to run for Presidency. It at first sounded like a joke but it later looked serious. However he was rejected by many rural Christians and after his big failure some left his churches the others excused him for ‘mishearing’.

As one connects the dots could this Pastor hoped to use his clout to get political power? His actions prove so .Yet TBN would have gained if he won the election on the claim hat Evangelical Kenya is blessed with a Christian President who was propped by TBN.TBN needs to know that it partook of the evil deeds of this Pastor’s Political Christianity

TBN in Uganda
TBN employed the services of Pastor Kayanja of the sodomy charges in some of their programming. His however was of great clout as he claimed that his international political prophecies had come to pass. I used to wonder how he prophesied about other nations but Uganda is home country?

Not until the 2006 elections where he ‘prophesied’ a 61% win for one candidate who happened to have opened his church…. Politics and faith mix similar to that of Pastor Muiru and TBN still partook of his evil deeds of Political Christianity.

TBN and the US Army and International Politics
After being exposed for allowing TBN to travel with their troops( as do all other American broadcasters ) ,a bible burning session was shown on TV to beat out the fact that there are many Evangelicals in the army who actually know that they are fighting for God against the enemies of God ,Israel and America.

Moreover TBN has had easy access in China with the Chinese government welcoming them with open arms, yet true Christian ministers cannot even dish out bibles in China to other Chinese Christians. TBN thus claims that China is opening up because of the partners prayers and financial giving yet it is because of political convenience and political dealings when Christian harassment goes on unabated. TBN partakes the deeds of the Chinese government as it carries the name of the Lord in vain.

TBN and UN
TBN recently showed off their connections with UN as they showed a session of TBN praying for peace and prosperity in the world. It was guised in the belief that they were at UN to join with the Christians who work there. The fact is that none gets such access to UN unless they have strong ties of associations. Another seen of partaking in the deeds of the UN. Proof of TBN AGREEING WITH New world order and Global hegemony masterminds.

Politics and the Media
For the elite to control and distract the masses they employ the media because of its massive appeal and reach to the masses. The Media is an educator and is a very powerful tool for change-good or bad. This is why the Internet, TV, Radio and newsprint are sources of knowledge.

That being the case the rulers of this world are concerned about what the media is giving the people. This why media laws are always being reformed worldwide.

So crucial is knowledge that the Internet is bound and is already under control of the rich rulers. Some sites have restricted access or membership to deny others from knowing something about that specific site.

They make the laws to control and distract people with false information and ban those who are giving the truth on the ground.

TBN has fallen into this trap of serving two masters at one time. From what teaches and does ,it despises the Faith as it teaches doctrines of devils and preaches tolerance ecumenism and world peace and prosperity...For TBN to have got its global coverage it must have paid a heavy price for filthy lucre; it has water down the gospel for the gain of the elite of the world and for the destruction of many.

From the above expositions it is clear that TBN serves another master other than the master it claims to serve…not the Lord Jesus Christ but Politics and Money, The kingdom of this world and the Prince of the power of the air.

This is the deception that JESUS SO SURELY WARNED THAT WE TAKE HEED .
Arthur Owiti

The Hijackers of Evangelical Christianity in Africa

The Hijackers of Evangelical Christianity in Africa

http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/386-the-hijackers-of-evangelical-christianity-in-africa.html

Arthur Owiti | November 9, 2009

This is in response to an article by All Africa, “Evangelical Churches Shake Up the Social Order” which exposed the magnitude of Evangelical Christianity in Africa. Though it paints a glitzy and awe striking picture of so called revival, hence fodder for revival hunters, it confirms the depth of apostasy and its ferocious spread-nothing to celebrate about…

Money and Politics, The Rich Elite of the world have hijacked Evangelical Christianity money circles. This hijack is beneficial to rich elite who like controlling the mass numbers for obeisance and pillaging or profits.

If the mass is Muslim, the elite like a chameleon, change color to satisfy the Muslim folk by meeting their demands for their own gain. If it is atheist, they put on atheist colors. For example, one American company has advocated for so called homosexual Rights yet the same company in East Africa sponsored A Christian event which was preaching against the same. How is that for change of colors?

If the masses like this we will do it. If the masses in Africa like this we will do it but not for the European masses who may not like it—that is the voice of the rich elite who please men to get gain from them So to make sure they get all the money and control, they support different values for one goal, money.

This is the spirit that is now overshadowing the Evangelical Church in sub Saharan Africa. A brief look at the countries which hold this Christianity will reveal one common bond: the hand of American/Western control, Global NOW influence…Africa is thus deep in colonial power and she knows it not !!

1. EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN KENYA--- THE AMERICAN COPY CAT
As we have seen over and over again, most of the evangelical church has morphed into the typical Dominionist American Evangelical church. Domionism and Prosperity drive the sermons of most of the churches courtesy of American teachings on Christianity. Many are zombies, thoroughly convinced in taking dominion.

In practice, the American teachers or missionaries that hold the above doctrines visit Kenya to reinforce and make disciples for these teachings. Before the so called Kenya festival, leaders of most churches across the board met to discuss religious unity and society transformation through the church; Oral Roberts Jr was one of the main speakers.

Below are the propagators of these falsehoods

Teachers or Missionaries from America and West--- Oral Roberts Jr, Rick Warren, Peter Youngren

2. EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN RWANDA… RICK WARREN’S ‘BABY’
After the end of the genocide the hand of America has been so heavy that now Rwanda is seen as a shining example of ‘democracy in Africa’ as stated by the global elite.

The irony is that Rwanda is fascist in its governance yet Christian because of being purpose driven. The mainline churches are dry wood as the Hill song type churches and Rick Warren books flood the country.

If you do the math properly, a successful Rwanda is because of a successful Rick Warren (member of CFR, who is building or lobbying for a library in a Ugandan university as he teaches Kenyan pastors in his many visits there... I smell a rat. ) because of A Purpose Driven population. This will be used to be an example for other African states.

Missionaries or Teachers…Jocye Meyer, Rick Warren

EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY in BURUNDI—George Otis Jr’s Dream Come True
Burundi boasts of an Evangelical President who is in active ministry as he serves the country…a perfect role model for Domionist Christianity. Burundi is now the talk on the lips of Transformationists since they have national worship services which is a concept steeped in The Transformationists doctrine of Dominion.

Thus Burundi is another ‘shining example Africa should follow.’ This is what both the economic and religious elite say and support for the sake of gain and control.

The list of countries is endless in terms of the type of Christianity that is spreading in sub Saharan Africa this time.

WHY PICK ON EVAGELICALS?
This being the current strain of Christianity in Africa it is seen as a very easy ground for capturing masses. The teachings are basically across the board in that they deal with salvation ,not man made doctrines of confirmation and other religious rites in the non evangelical churches.

In Africa many are embracing it because of its experiential tone. Whereas our walk with the Lord is experiential, the kind of experience most Evangelicals are having is fleshly experience which is manifest in love for the world and comforts.

Such a watered down and shallow faith is so tolerable to other non Evangelical churches that the only reason why they despise them is because of snatching away the numbers. It is important to note that though they are few Evangelical churches which are transnational like the Catholic and Baptist churches, they are mean African Evangelical Christians in non Evangelical churches. This is the biggest form of deceptive tolerance in the church today. It is also the basis of the Ecumenical movement and National Council of Churches.

In one interaction during a mission one sister said she is saved, not born gain because in her locality, the word born gain has been denominated, losing its doctrinal meaning. She is in the Anglican Church but believes in salvation as being the only way. Blinded while holding the truth.

SHEEP FOR SLAUHGTER?? Evangelical to Ecumenical??
Many like the lady mentioned above are thus in denominational folds and are set to joining in the One world church and religion because of rejection to hold sound doctrine and biblical Christianity.

The George Otis company and Global Day of prayer started with Evangelical roots but now are Ecumenical in practice to get the NUMBERS= PEOPLE=MONEY AND POLITICS

TBN started as an Evangelical channel but now has the Church Channel accommodating other denominations and sound tolerant for Muslims by removing Hal Lindsey ( do not endorse his teachings though ), to get the NUMBERS= PEOPLE=MONEY AND POLITICS

Benny Hinn started very Pentecostal but now embraces all denominations on the basis of ‘love because of NUMBERS= PEOPLE=MONEY AND POLITICS

So there is a growing solidification of this one church idea were the Evangelical Church is used as bait to draw many back to Rome. All roads lead to Rome except Jesus Christ that leads to New Jerusalem.

WAYS OF UNITING EVANGELICALS WITH NON EVANGELICALS TO GIVE BIRTH TO ECUMENISM
1. Abrahamic Faiths unity Jews, Muslims and Christians coming together as one for the sake of peace in middle east and unity in religion …initiated by SAUDI KING ON THE BASIS SOF ALL MAIN RELIGIONS FROM Abraham...remember CNN’s Christian Anampour did an exclusive on the three hinting a sort of unity to end the divisions

2. Inter Religious Councils that give joint statements on political and social issues

3. Ecumenical Theology…new definitions of the Holy Spirit and rejection of Jesus Christ …embracing different ways to one God.

4. Moral Legislation Muslims Catholics Evangelicals are against abortion, homosexuality, teen sex, prostitution. This opposition is a uniting factor that brings them together with ease ignoring doctrinal differences.

Evangelical Churches Shake Up the Social Order?

Evangelical Churches Shake Up the Social Order?

http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/387-evangelical-churches-shake-up-the-social-order.html

All Africa Reports that "Evangelical Churches are shaking the social order in East Africa" , interesting that Lee Grady, Charisma Magazine, 700 Club, George Ortis and Transformations, and Christianity Today Media Publications have been pushing this lie that a Revival is taking Place in East Africa...if one reads this report first published by Daily Nation Newspaper of Kenya, one does not fail to see that this is a mere Political Movement and not a Christian Revival at all...Kato Mivule

Evangelical Churches Shake Up the Social Order

All Africa | 29 October 2009

http://allafrica.com/stories/200910290919.html

Nairobi — The fire of Pentecostal evangelism is burning through the continent scorching "sins" and shaking the religio-political status quo to its very foundation. Meanwhile, traditional churches are watching helplessly as their members defect en masse to the Pentecostal churches.

Just a week ago in Kenya, Bishop Margaret Wanjru's Jesus is Alive Ministries, a Pentecostal church, received Maina Njenga. Njenga is not your normal Sunday service convert but the leader of the Mungiki, an ancestral worship "sect" complete with a political and economic arm that has been linked to brutal killings in Kenya and Mafia-like extortion rings. Njenga's triumphal march -- followed by thousands of Mungiki adherents who had suddenly 'seen the light' -- into Bishop Wanjiru's Nairobi church happened a day after the State dropped murder charges against him.

Evangelical church services are characterised by a spiritually charged atmosphere, energetic singing, dancing and passionate prayer. Sermons are delivered by charismatic pastors, some of them highly educated and modelling their preaching along the lines of American gospel greats such as TD Jakes.

The youth and a considerable chunk of senior citizens find Pentecostal church services more exciting than the subdued and even staid worship marked by silent congregations listening to soporific music that the first European missionaries brought here.

"Africans want things done powerfully," says Rev Nathan Samwini of the Christian Council of Ghana. "You meet white evangelicals from America -- they behave like Africans. They are vibrant, everything is done with vigour."

Material and spiritual success is a core element of their message which, on a continent where a significant section of the population is poor, attracts a huge number of people. "African realities make them open to faith," says Luis Bush, a renowned evangelist and a cousin of former US President George Bush.

"When a person is in that kind of need, it makes them much more open to external relief and belief than if you have comfort. Poverty really opens you up to spirituality," he adds.

Promoting a pragmatic and entrepreneurial approach to Christian life, Pentecostal evangelists attract young impressionable people from urban areas and dissatisfied older generations from the mainstream denominations. This is aided by the fact that their church meetings tend to be joyous fanfares with loud music and dancing reminiscent of festive carnivals. The sermons are crafted along popular themes such as miracle healing, financial breakthrough, finding marriage partners and freedom from demonic bondage -- all based on a literal interpretation of Bible stories. Most underplay the hallmarks of traditional Christianity such as humility, submission and meekness.

Twenty-nine-year-old Charles Kasibante, a former Catholic who joined the Miracle Centre Church in Kampala, says he feels more spiritual.

"I was hanging out in the wrong places with the wrong people. Then in 1994 I went to a 'born-again church'. The charismatic preaching, the dancing and the singing appealed to me."

Born-again Christians
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, about 17 million Africans described themselves as born-again Christians in 1970. Today the figure has soared to more than 400 million, which accounts for roughly 19 per cent of the continent's population.

But as the fire of evangelism spreads across the continent, so does greed and materialism. This expansion has led to the emergence of mega-churches, sanctuaries visited by thousands of worshippers every week, and media-savvy celebrity pastors enjoying all the trappings of power, including bodyguards, limos, nice homes, designer suits and pride of place at important State functions.

Their role models are American 'prosperity gospel' preachers like Morris Cerullo, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, John Avanzini and Marilyn Hickey.

The glamour and glitz associated with these successful evangelists has greatly increased the number of those heeding the call to serve as ministers, which has led to an unprecedented multiplication and fragmentation of evangelical churches in recent decades. Winning members is a cut-throat business employing all forms of publicity, the most preferred being televangelism.

To beat competition, some of the preachers claim to have all sorts of miracle working powers besides branding their establishments with catchy names. House of Harvest, Mountain of Fire, Prayer Palace and Miracle Centre are just a few examples.

In Kenya alone, almost 100 churches submit registration requests everyday to the Registrar of Societies. Some are eventually registered as the pastors' private property, exclusively co-owned with spouse and family, which explains the numerous protracted church ownership tussles that sometimes end up in court.

A 10-nation survey by US-based Pew Forum indicated that Kenya was the most evangelical African nation with 56 per cent of its Christians being born-again, beating the more populous South Africa and Nigeria at 34 and 26 per cent respectively. The concept of being "born-again" used to be very unpopular with the working class but these new Pentecostal movements and mega-churches have glamourised it by recruiting young urban professionals, students and high ranking government officials through emotional messages and Christianisation of secular music genres such as rock, hip-hop and reggae that are popular with the youth.

With a majority of its estimated population of 130 million people languishing in poverty, it is not surprising that Nigeria is the largest centre of Evangelical Christian faith in Africa. Judging from the glamorous and luxurious lives of some of its pastors, the Pentecostal faith is a veritable gold mine for some people in that country.

Besides having tens of thousands of churches, Nigeria boasts some of the wealthiest men of the cloth in the world.

Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo was for a long time considered the richest Nigerian evangelist until his formidable income supply was nipped in the bud. Donning high-end designer silk suits and shoes, he ministered in London where his Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) was based. He is said to have made so much money that it attracted the attention of the British tax collector, at which point he fled back to Nigeria where he operates from a modest premise in Lagos.

However the most successful evangelist in Africa now is Bishop (Dr) David Oyedepo, the general overseer of Living Faith Ministries Winners Chapel. Besides acquiring an aircraft 10 years ago to facilitate the international spread of his ministry, he has one of the largest basilicas in the world.

The auditorium of his Canaanland Church on the outskirts of Lagos houses 50,000 worshippers every Sunday. Besides this the charismatic preacher has founded a private university that has been ranked among the best in Nigeria by the Accreditation Committee of the Nigerian Universities Committee.

Cheerful givers
The success of these leaders and their ministries is owed to congregations inspired by the often quoted Biblical injunction that "cheerful givers never lack" besides selling recorded sermons, holding seminars, conferences, mammoth crusades, establishing learning institutions and writing motivational books.

After establishing the spiritual dominance in their respective countries, Pentecostal leaders are gradually shifting their focus to setting a social agenda through assumption of political power. This is achieved either by seeking favour from political leaders by promising to vote as a block or gunning for public office banking on their followers to elect them.

During the Ugandan general elections in 2006, most of the country's born-again church leaders, under their umbrella body, the National Fellowship of Born-Again Churches, held massive prayer conferences and rallies at Namboole and Lugogo stadia where they endorsed President Yoweri Museveni as their preferred candidate, terming him "God's gift to Uganda".

This was in contrast to the traditional denominations which, under the Ugandan Joint Christian Council (UJCC,) openly criticised the amendment of the country's constitution to give the President a third term. But the Pentecostal's move was no surprise since they boast among their members a huge contingent of high-ranking government officials led by First Lady Janet Museveni, army bigwigs like Elly Tumwine and Aronda Nyakairima, former Cabinet Ministers Dr Nsaba Buturo and Ezra Suruma, all of whom claim to be "saved" or balokole.

President Museveni is himself a common figure at crusades, having presided over the opening of the grand Miracle Centre Cathedral in Kampala and being on record as saying that he preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ to Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi, a Muslim, during a continental gathering of Heads of States. Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza is also a self-declared 'born-again' Christian and worship leader of Komeza Gusenga (keep on praying), a choir composed of ex-rebels who fought alongside him during the civil war.

In Kenya several Pentecostal evangelists contested for various seats in the last general elections but only Bishop Margaret Wanjiru made it, winning the Starehe seat in Nairobi.

Although Pastor Pius Muiru's presidential bid in that election was no more than a big joke, things might be different in future elections if the rate at which evangelicals are winning souls is anything to go by.

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka seem to have realised the voting potential of the evangelical movement in Kenya since they have both publicly declared their being "born-again", setting the stage for a future Pentecostal political showdown. While Raila, whose religious affiliations were sometimes questioned, was baptised in a highly publicised ceremony by maverick evangelical cleric and self-declared prophet, Dr David Owuor, Kalonzo constantly quotes the Scriptures during political rallies.

Well-drilled army
In Nigeria the Pentecostals are marching onwards like a well-drilled army. Boasting more than 20 million members and belonging to the powerful Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), their design to assume political control is clearly explained in some of its literature, which states the desire to create "a new social, economic and political reality that reveals the true nature of God's reign and the likeness of Christ through its renunciation of the world's definitions and tactics".

This agenda, which implies making all Nigerians undergo the Pentecostal conversion experience of being born-again in order to create a platform on which radical social transformation will be enacted, was made clear by one of the PFN leaders in a speech presented to members in a 1992 conference.

"In Nigeria we can become the force of change not by loving politicians but by winning souls. If we can get at least 80 per cent of Nigerians born again, you can be sure a Christian will be president. You won't even need to be a rich man before you become president because the people will say you are the one they want and you must be there," he said. Such statements have not been taken lightly by rivals considering that these churches supply 40 per cent of the total revenue earned by both public and private radio and television stations besides having some of the most learned clergy in the world.

The predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria has reacted swiftly by instituting Sharia law in most states. Where it is observed, Sharia bans the preaching of any other religion. The aggressive work of evangelical missionaries has also sent jitters in Islamic North Africa, prompting Algeria to pass a law in 2005 that made it a criminal offence to convert Muslims to another faith.

"Evangelicals are demonising other religions in their efforts to promote their values. It is another form of Jihad (holy war)," claims Sidique Wei, the head of a New York-based advocacy group called United African Congress.

Africa Insight is an initiative of the Nation Media Group's Africa Media Network Project.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200910290919.html?page=2

One can safely say that the Evangelical Church in Africa has been hijacked by diabolical forces which hype up its growth to cover up the real owners of this type of Christianity...Arthur Owiti

Tuesday 3 November 2009

There goes the Serpent Again: Prophet Godfrey Lule Prophesies that Dr. Kizza Besigye will run mad in 2011

In last week’s edition (Wednesday 28-10-2009) of the Kamunye weekly tabloid, there was a major story about Pastor Godfrey Lule’s bogus prophecy for 2011. Lule is said to have prophesied that Col.Dr.Kizza Besigye will ran mad in 2011. According to Prophet Godfrey Lule, the Retired Col. Will ran mad because of the overwhelming victory of President Museveni in 2011 election. This bogus prophecy is not from God and will not come to pass. Pastor Lule is one of the many spiritual politicians for the current government in Uganda. These guys have nothing to do with God, their god is money, power and prestige. They appear anointed but their anointing is from satan. As we approach the Ugandan election in 2011, many of these political pastors are going to be exposed. Their trust is not in the Lord Jesus Christ, but in President Museveni. Do not associate all balokole(born again Christians) with these prosperity mammon serpents.


See more of Pastor Godfrey Lule’s Bogus Gospel below

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/04/prosperity-pastors-and-political.html