EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CHURCHES IN NIGERIA (PART III)

“When the Church Becomes a Marketplace and God Becomes the Product”

By Akin Ojumu

CHAPTER THREE: THE SEED-SOWING ECONOMY AND THE BUSINESS OF GOD

Now concerning money, where shall I begin? Some among you have transformed giving into spiritual gambling.

Seed for breakthrough. Seed for marriage. Seed for visa. Seed for conception. Seed for promotion. Seed for deliverance. Seed for uncommon favor. Seed for 24-hour miracle.

At this point, the Church sounds less like Jerusalem and more like an agricultural commodities exchange.

Everything is a seed. 

Except, curiously, the pastor’s private jet. That is a blessing.

You tell desperate people: “Your sacrifice will provoke heaven.” 

So, the widow empties her account. The unemployed man gives his rent. The struggling mother gives school fees. The sick give money hoping to buy divine attention.

And the preacher calls this: “Kingdom principles.”

No. It is spiritualized commerce. 

The grace of God is not an auction. God’s mercy is not for sale. The Cross is not a payment portal. You cannot bribe Providence.

“SOW INTO MY GRACE.”

Some say: “Connect to the grace on my life.”

How?

Money. Naturally.

“Sow into this anointing.”

What an extraordinary coincidence. The spiritual connection repeatedly terminates at the bank account. You would think grace traveled through Christ.

Apparently, it now travels through electronic transfer. 

You speak of “tapping into grace” as though ministers were spiritual ATMs.

Insert seed. Enter faith PIN. Select breakthrough. Please wait while heaven processes transaction.

Transaction declined? Obviously, you lacked faith. The system is flawless. The victim is always responsible.

PROSPERITY BY TESTIMONY.

Then comes testimony time.

One person gave ₦100,000. Received ₦10 million. 

Another sowed a car. Received two cars.

Another emptied an account. Then received a contract.

And the crowd screams. Nobody interviews the thousands who gave and received nothing remotely similar. That dataset is apparently controlled by unbelief.

This is not theology. It is survivor bias with a worship band.

PROPHETIC FUNDRAISING.

Then there is the prophet who suddenly sees “ten people” who must give a particular amount.

Interesting. The Holy Spirit apparently loves round numbers.

Ten people. Twenty people. Fifty people. ₦100,000. ₦500,000. ₦1 million.

And somehow revelation increases with income bracket.

You rarely hear: “The Lord is showing me seventeen people who must go home and pay their debts.”

No.

It is always: “Come forward with your seed.”

Apparently, omniscience has become remarkably interested in pledge cards.

PROPHECY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.

January arrives. Prophecy season begins.

This is your year of supernatural acceleration. This is your year of unstoppable enlargement. This year, no loss. This year, billionaires shall arise. This year Nigeria shall experience unprecedented transformation.”

December arrives. Nothing.

January returns. New banner. New slogan. New prophecy. No autopsy. No accountability. Just branding.

In biblical times, claiming to speak for God was terrifying. In your time, it is content creation.

“THE LORD TOLD ME.”

The Lord apparently speaks constantly about other people’s marriages. Their jobs. Their businesses. Their enemies. Their travel. Their phone numbers. Their bank accounts. Their village witches.

Yet He appears strangely reluctant to tell many prophets: “You have misunderstood this Bible passage.”

Curious. Very curious.

ORDINARY CHRISTIANITY IS NOW TOO ORDINARY.

Faithfulness is boring. Holiness is boring. Contentment is boring. Serving quietly is boring. Studying Scripture is boring. Loving your spouse is boring. Raising your children in the Lord is boring. Helping the poor is boring. Enduring suffering with faith is boring.

You want power. Platforms. Dimensions. Encounters. Visions. Mantles. Fire. Oil. Atmospheres. Speed. Acceleration. Suddenlies. And preferably by Friday.

But Christ says: Take up your cross.

You answer: “Is there a prophetic shortcut?”

TO THE PEOPLE IN THE PEWS.

Do not blame only the preachers. You built this market. They sell because you buy. 

You want certainty about tomorrow. They provide prophecy. 

You want quick wealth. They provide seeds.

You want enemies destroyed. They provide warfare.

You want children. They provide declarations.

You want visas. They provide altar calls.

You want supernatural advantage. They provide “grace.”

You want a Christianity that guarantees outcomes. And whenever one merchant disappoints you, you move to the next shop.

This is not discipleship. It is religious consumerism.

YOU LUST FOR A SHAMAN WITH A BIBLE.

Many of you do not actually want pastors. You want Christianized diviners. You want men who tell you hidden things.

Who reveal enemies. Who identify witches. Who predict tomorrow. Who interpret dreams. Who break curses. Who select spouses. Who guarantee children. Who secure jobs. Who open borders. Who control weather. Who command disease.

In other words, you want the old village spiritual specialist. But this time with a Bible. A suit. LED screens. And Instagram.

RETURN TO CHRIST.

Enough. Enough Daddy worship. Enough Papa mythology. Enough apostolic aristocracy. Enough prophetic theatre. Enough unverifiable miracles. Enough seed-selling. Enough spiritual extortion. 

Enough “I carry power.” Enough “my presence changes atmospheres.” Enough “connect to my grace.” Enough “sow into my anointing.” Enough “touch not.”

Enough titles. Enough dimensions. Enough revelation addiction. Enough making ordinary Christians believe Christ is insufficient unless a celebrity minister supplements Him.

Christ is enough.

Not Christ plus Daddy. Not Christ plus Papa. Not Christ plus Prophet. Not Christ plus mantle. Not Christ plus seed. Not Christ plus oil. Not Christ plus altar. Not Christ plus spiritual father.

Christ.

LET THE CHURCH BURN THE IDOLS.

Deuteronomy 12:3

“Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.”

Bring Scripture back to the pulpit. Bring accountability back to prophecy. Bring evidence back to miracle claims. Bring integrity back to giving. Bring humility back to ministry. Bring Christ back to the center.

Let pastors become shepherds again. Let prophets stop behaving like fortune tellers. Let apostles stop behaving like emperors.

Let congregations stop behaving like fan clubs. Let giving become generosity again, not gambling. Let prayer become dependence upon God again, not magical incantation. Let the Holy Spirit be God again, not transferable electricity stored inside Papa’s body.

And let every minister who says, “I carry power,” remember: You carry nothing independently. You own nothing spiritually. You control nothing sovereignly. You are a servant.

If God uses you, thank Him. If God gives a gift, serve others. If God heals, glorify God. If God does not heal, do not manufacture a testimony. If you speak, speak truth. 

If you claim God spoke, you had better be certain. Because attaching God’s name to your imagination is not spirituality. It is presumption.

ONE LAST QUESTION.

And when the lights go out, when the keyboard stops, when the protocol team leaves, when the convoy disappears, when nobody is shouting “Papa!” when there is no conference banner, no television audience, no social-media clips, no honorary titles, no front row, no special chair, no one kneeling at your feet, who are you then?

A servant? Or a celebrity who mistook applause for anointing?

Nigeria does not need more religious superstars. It needs faithful shepherds. 

It does not need more men claiming to carry God. It needs men who know they are carried by God. 

It does not need more spiritual emperors. It needs servants.

It does not need another Daddy. The Church already has a Father.

It does not need another mediator. The Church already has Christ.

It does not need another miracle merchant. The Church already has the Gospel.

So, tear down the billboards in your hearts. Break the idols. Test the prophets. Open the Bible. Follow Christ. And when somebody tells you, “My Daddy carries a dimension you need,” ask him:

WAS YOUR DADDY CRUCIFIED FOR ME?

If the answer is no, move him out of the center. Jesus Christ belongs there.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen.