She wanted him to know that she cared forhim. She also didn’t want anything to stand in their way to the altar and so she worked to make him strong and unwavering. But she feared that if Michael adhered to the advice of some people around him he could change his mind about their marriage. And one way to get things done was to lure him to a seer, a prophetess of some sort who would guide them and probably make sure he ignored all distractions that could threaten their planned marriage.Michael did not believe in seers. He did noteven believe in witchcraft, fetish or any voodoo phenomenon.It was difficult to convince him to follow her to a seer. But like it was in the beginning of time with Adam and Eve, Stella succeeded in luring Michael to the seer in Olodi Apapa Area of Lagos.“Some people would be against their marriage and they would work for it not to happen,” the seer told them, warning that something bad could happen to them if they did not start praying immediately as some people were already after them. The seer also told them that only prayers couldsee them surmount the forces against theirmarriage. She even said that they were notmeant for each other but prayers could change everything “as there’s nothing God cannot do”.And for the back pane that Michael was having at the time, the seer told them that it was the handiwork of his people from the village and that he needed to come regularly for prayers to be healed. Michael and Stella left and promised to return for prayers.Did the seer succeed in creating fears into this couple so that they could always visit and sow seed during prayers?If Stella fell for it, Michael did not.When they got home, Michael bared his mind to Stella: “I did not give any background to the seer on my back pain and she goofed big time. My back pain is asa result of an old sports injury that comes and goes from time to time. And here was somebody telling me that my people in thevillage were sending pains to me? And all the story about the forces against the marriage is for us to be coming regularly for prayers after which one must make offertory. This is how these people operate. They live by creating fear into people, prophesying falsely and reaping victims off”Michael never went back there. He was strong-willed not to fall to these so called seers who do many things in the name of God . Although he had problems with Stellaafter marriage he strongly believed their problem was more attitudinal than spiritual. They have all moved on.Many Nigerians are not as strong-willed as Michael. And that may be the reason they easily fall prey to money-hungry prophets and prophetesses in the country.

Many Nigerians do terrible things in the name of God. They thrive largely because people are gullible especially when when ti comes to religion.Only few months ago, a man wearing a vest that identifies members of a church inLagos stormed out of Vanguard office in Apapa, Lagos, swearing against a man he called his uncle. A seer in the church had told him that his uncle, a lawmaker in the National Assembly in Abuja, was blocking his progress spiritually. He was in Vanguard wanting his story to be published. He had been so brainwashed that he appeared to be out of his mind.. Heclaimed that his uncle always turned into a bird and trailed him wherever he went. He was guided out of Vanguard office. Outside, as he sighted a bird perched on a tree, he screamed, pointing at the bird and claiming that his uncle was prowling after him again.In Benin, Tina and Eyimofe were happily married until a pastor told Eyimofe that he would have been richer but for his mother in-law who through witchcraft has denied him not only riches but also the fruit of the womb, claiming that the mother of his wifewas not happy at her daughter for not taking care of her. This sort of story is common in Nigeria. In market places, in offices and even in political gatherings, enmity creeps into relationships following warnings and revelations from false prophets. In all, the victims are miracle seekers.

HOW CHURCHES AND FALSE PROPHETS ESCALATED

A few churches were known to be operating before the Nigerian civil war, which lasted between 1967 and 1970. Things started changing after the war. Churches started mushrooming in all the towns. All manner of names were given to these post-civil war churches. The situationwas such that in a school, all classrooms became churches on Sundays.With the rise in the number of churches, allmanner of individuals, irrespective of their level of education, started establishing churches. Midway into the life of these new churches, internal wranglings rear up. The disagreement naturally mid-wives splinter group in the once united church and soon another church is born.Now, ownership of churches has become big business, and mostly family business for that matter. A man is usually the General Overseer (G.O), while the wife and children become members of the Board of Trustees. The church is incorporated as business empire. Most of them are peoplewho have failed in on enterprise or the other, and then fall back to establish churches. They make it if they have the gift of oratory.

A man in Owerri, Imo State capital, narrated how a self-styled prophet and head of a church brought trouble into a once peaceful home: “My family was aboutthe most peaceful until our father died in 1997. Not too long after, my younger brother brought in a woman he chose to call his wife. I am not worried that this woman, who from all indications, is a good example of a woman married by hire purchase, dragged my brother into one of these new testament churches.“Before I knew what was happening, the prophet of the new church accused us of being largely responsible for his poor economic status.My wife and I were also accused of changing the sex of the babies in his wife’s womb. They bought the prophecy totally and since then, the family has never knownpeace.

”There is also a general overseer of a church in Owerri who invites all manner of sick persons to his church for prayers and claims to have powers of healing. But whenhe took ill, he quickly rushed to South Africa for treatment.Just recently, the timely intervention of operatives of Abia State Vigilante Service saved 20-year old Blessing Okechukwu who claimed to be a pastor. He would havebeen summarily lynched by angry villagers of Umudinkwa community, Ubakala, in Umuahia South local council area of Abia State.Okechukwu, a native of Mgboko in Obingwa local government area of the state, claimed to be superintending over Divine Church located in his country home,Mgboko. He had allegedly gone to Umudinkwa on a “deliverance mission.” The trip turned sour when he tried to outwit his host family but was caught in theact.Stories had it that the self-styled pastor went to the Agomuo family home to remove “an evil charm” he claimed was buried in one corner of the compound, butended up trying to plant a charm in the hole he and his accomplices had dug.In the course of digging the hole, the fake pastor smartly brought out a padlock carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth from his pocket and threw it into the hole he andhis fake prayer warriors had painstakingly dug with clinical finesse. His game plan wasthat he would carefully bring out “the exhibit” after muttering some incantations.Nemesis however caught up with him as unknown to the fake pastor, a member of the family, Engr. Chinedu Agomuo, was watching the “religious drama” as it unfolded, while other members of the family were engrossed in the anticipated outcome of the deliverance.

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In the New Testament, God never designedus to be guided by prophecy of man. That is why he put his spirit in us. We are supposed to be guided by the spirit of God.Today’s prophets are supposed to confirm something God has put in our spirit, not to put something contrary.

The issue is that a lot of believers don’t grow themselves to the point where they can hear God for themselves; they are too lazy to pray and study their bibles, and they need someone else to do the work for them. What will bring an end to this will be for people to take out the time and discipline to strengthen their own personal relationshipwith God.These prophets capitalize on the ignoranceof people. I have come in contact with a number of people who fell victim of false prophets. By the time we got together, sat and talked, we realized that there was no way what the so called prophets said couldhave been true.

This is a time where there are so many challenges facing the average Nigerian today: terrorism, kidnapping, sickness, as a result people are just lookingfor anything that looks like a solution. We need to have knowledgeable about God and His word. The bible says that those who know their God will be strong.

d problem is just ppl lack wisdom
d bible says his ppl are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
ppl dont want to seek God on their own but want someone to contact God on their behave

God is there in d pages of the bible but human being are just too lazy to search for Him. why wouldn't they be decieved

they are stupid ppl who dont ve d slightest understanding that stupidity and gullibility are killers

gede7744:
d problem is just ppl lack wisdom
d bible says his ppl are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
ppl dont want to seek God on their own but want someone to contact God on their behave

God is there in d pages of the bible but human being are just too lazy to search for Him. why wouldn't they be decieved

they are stupid ppl who dont ve d slightest understanding that stupidity and gullibility are killers

U are right sis, but thank God there is still a remnant.