Before Benny Hinn Recants, Bishop David Oyedepo Intervenes

Friday 27th , September 2019

Celebration of Honesty, Truth & Integrity

Happy Birthday, the Father of Generals

‘’Bishop, you are my teacher’’

Kenneth Copeland, to Bishop David Oyedepo

Posted by Ambassador T. Brikins

The world celebrates Bishop David Oyedepo @ 65 years today. Here, we celebrate honesty, truth & integrity personified. This time, we focus on financial integrity.

When in your youth,  you follow someone for about 2 decades @ close touchy proximity, you know many things by experience and knowledge. As  you ponder ideas told you and they congeal into  concrete realities  on global scale, that grabs your attention.

Bishop David Oyedepo, speaks with authority. Read a few below.

‘’ The church funds have never mistakenly got into my pocket’’.

‘’ I do not take advantage of my church members. God brought them. They are Gods people. I have never called on any church member or friends for financial reasons and I have quite a number of important people in high places’’. ‘’ 

 ‘’Since you came here, have you been put under pressure to give? ‘’

‘’This church has never borrowed’’.

At a point,  a  financial Institution put this last quote to test. The church was building its University, Covenant University and definitely should need financial assistance. The management approached the Bishop to help out with an unsolicited loan of One Billion Naira. He rejected the  offer.

Senate Building, Covenant University

Why?

The covenant position of the church is, ’For the Lord thy God blessed thee, as he promised thee: and thou shall lend unto many nations, but they shall not reign over thee’’. Deuteronomy 15:6

It would appear his breathe and heart beat follow  the drumming beat  of scriptures. In him scripture is not a story, myth, parable, etc, but a living personality.

On givings, he believes that apart from the tithe that  specifies 10%,  all other forms of giving’s should be voluntary, as the individuals wills. This runs counter to the so called prosperity gospel which Benny Hinn has had to recant recently.

September 2, 2019, Benny Hinn who has been a leading proponent of prosperity gospel theology since the 1980s on, during his 3-hour, 50-minute weekly broadcast, said he had changed. “I am correcting my own theology and you need to all know it,” the televangelist told his studio audience and those watching online. “The blessings of God are not for sale. And miracles are not for sale. And prosperity is not for sale.” Hinn said he now believes such give-to-get theology is offensive to God. He specifically repudiated the practice of asking for “seed money,” where televangelists tell people that God will bless them if they give a specific dollar amount. Hinn himself has done this numerous times, promising God will give material blessings in exchange for a gift of $1,000. He said he wouldn’t do it anymore.

“I think giving has become such a gimmick,” Hinn said. “It’s making me sick to my stomach. And I’ve been sick for a while too. I just couldn’t say it. And now the lid is off. I’ve had it. You know why? I don’t want to get to heaven and be rebuked.”

Hinn had critiqued the prosperity gospel in 2018, saying it had gone too far. He later explained that he wasn’t renouncing the teaching; he only felt it needed to be clarified.

On the Monday broadcast, after saying he was correcting his theology, Hinn seemed to reiterate the substance of the prosperity gospel.

“I still believe in prosperity,” Hinn said. “The message of prosperity is in the Bible. We cannot deny that if we give, we will receive. That’s in the Bible. You can’t erase it. No way. God wants to bless his people way more than you want to receive that blessing. But you can’t put a price on it.” 

Apparently, referring to these gimmicks way back in 2006, Bishop David Oyedepo  writes in his book,  Exploits in Ministry, ''The Lord said to me:' Don't raise money, raise men; and you will have more money than you will ever require for ministry. But the vogue in ministry today is raising money rather than raising men. There are specialists money raisers that go from church to church, pressuring people to give and milking the sheep dry. What a shame! The effect of raising men rather than money abounds in our ministry. I believe members of our church are the most excited givers in the world today. Nobody is coaxed or prophetically harassed to give. Everybody gives as they are blessed of the Lord, with joy and gladness. Don't raise money, raise men! If your ministry is a men- raising ministry, then you will never lack money or resources for the work of the ministry''.

In a  secular   or business term,  this is simple  customer satisfaction or experience. It flows from the principle, ''...For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things''. Romans 15:27. 

The beauty of the Christian faith is the ever expanding capacity of God's love and mercy to contain the frailties of man.''For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged''. 1 Corinthians 11:31. ''Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea  he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand''. Romans 14:4. 

An American preacher said, he hopes God has accepted his apology because when he did those things, he said God told him which is a sin against the Holy Spirit. However, Charles Spurgeon writing in his book, Power Over Satan, on the subject of satanic hindrances says, ''...all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men...the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men''(Mathew 12:31). 

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) 

'' It is very likely that the sin against the Holy Spirit torments you a great deal. You read that ''unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven''(Luke 12:10). In this,  too, you may be greatly tried. I wonder not that you are, for this is a most painfully difficult subject. One fact may cheer you: if you repent of your sins, you have not committed the unpardonable offence, since that sin necessitates hardness of heart forever. As long as a man has any tenderness of conscience and any softness of spirit, he has not so renounced the Holy Spirit as to have lost His presence''. 

While motives from the living conscience should inspire actions, the place of gifts in other vessels to strengthen the body should be heeded to avoid the shipwreck of our faith.

Lack of financial accountability and responsibility is a major standard critiques of the prosperity gospel.

Way back in 1997, the Bishop had documented his thoughts and practice on financial integrity.

He writes quoting from Proverbs 14:34

‘’Righteousness exalted a nation: but sin is reproach to any people’’

Job who was lifted by God until he became the greatest man in the East stood strong on God’s foundation by heeding, ‘’The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…Proverbs 9:10. Wisdom being, ‘’Whoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them’’. Matthew 7:24. Job’s testimony he says, ’shows that you don’t have to be crooked to get to the topmost top’’.

‘’Nothing corrupts more than money in today’s world. People scheming to play out one another. When the Bible says ‘’fight the good fight of faith’’, its talking about money. You must fight financial corruption or you die in it!

The Bible says, ‘’fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12). That means money is wrestling against eternal line in your life.

‘’But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out’’. (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

And verse 10-12 says, ‘’For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou o man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, w hereunto thou art called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.’’

Financial corruption is a deadly attack from hell. Jesus once said to a man, ‘’This is money, this is heaven, choose one, and the man said, ’I take money!’’. He signed for suicide because of money’’.

This hellish source is corroborated by Emmanuel Eni in his book, ’Delivered from the Power Darkness’’. He writes that in his meeting with Satan, he told him, ‘’he will use the following to destroy the church.

1.      Money

2.      Wealth, and

3.      Women.

Hallelujah, '' I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail'', Jesus says.

Furthermore, the Bishop writes, ‘’Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to go buy food. Joseph, finding out they were his brothers, put back their money in their bags. The Bible tells us that Jacob sent back that money. (Genesis 43:12).

Integrity guarantees plenty! All our covenant fathers-Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-were people of integrity. Who then do you look like, playing pranks on account of money?

There’s nothing in money to warrant anybody dying and laying his life on the line for. Many people need to be delivered from the bondage of financial corruption. Such people, when they see money, their bodies begin to vibrate. Their nerves are no longer at rest.

You hide money from your wife, you hide money from your husband. For what?

Listen to me: you don’t love money to get it; you love God to be blessed! Lovers of money get lost, but lovers of God get increasingly blessed! Tomorrow is fantastic. All you need to do is live right today. If you live right today, you secure a future for yourself, and for generations coming after you’’

Don’t sell off your destiny, no! It’s too dangerous to your soul. If you remember Judas and Gehazi, you won’t do that. To buy something in your office and tender a forged receipt, you’re already under the chains of financial corruption. Why must you tie your destiny down? You don’t have to.

It takes financial integrity to enjoy financial plenty’’.

Financial Integrity in the life Bishop David Oyedepo and Church Administration is hinged on clear cut transparency. The Finance Policy derives its premise from Luke 16:11, 12, ‘’…If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?’’

To ensure the practical reality of the above scripture, there are clear processes of objectives, guidelines, budget, income, offering, expenditure procedure, funding structure, account unit responsibility, payment policy, accounting policies, etc. Open accountability is the driver.

Kenneth E. Hagin

The Lord said to Kenneth E. Hagin in the mid-1940s, that ‘’The best means to spread the gospel is through the printed page. Faithful men and women have been doing that. Hus most important work De Ecclesia (On the Church), influenced Luther’s thinking.

Financial Corruption was at the heart of the so called ‘The Holy Trade’

By 1517 Luther had become increasingly concerned about the scandal of indulgences. The matter was brought to a head when a Dominican Friar John Tetzel , acting on behalf of the Archbishop of Mainz, attempted to ply his ‘’holy trade’’ in Saxony. The proceeds of the sale were to be divided between the pope, to help build the new St. Peter’s at Rome, and the archbishop whose pressing debts needed to be met.

Martin Luther influenced by Hus Book

As indulgences became recognized as a useful source of income, their scope was widened in 1476 becoming possible to purchase them on behalf of the dead, thus creating a huge demand for the certificates. The holder of an indulgence (for a deceased relative) could be excused all works of penance, and anyone who died forgiven by the priest was still guaranteed entrance to heaven.

The theory was that Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints had built up a ‘credit balance’ of good works, which were available to all.  

In his book , The Charismatic Ministry, the prolific writer and publisher, Rev. Lindsay who often called attention to these nefarious perils writes, ’If people are told that the money is to be used for a certain purpose, and it is spent largely on other things, such as for promotion, then it is being raised under false pretenses. This is a sore point…But if the greater proportion of the funds so raised are used for overhead, then something is wrong…

The manner of taking offerings in campaigns is extremely important. If every service or a considerable number of services is occupied with a lengthy appeal for large offerings, the effect upon the people of the community is likely to be unfavorable. The ministers so engaged will soon be regarded as employed mainly in money raising

‘’Gimmicks which included relics, bones, holy water, indulgences, etc. Cursed the Medieval Church. They were widely used at that time as money-raising devices designed to appeal to people’s ignorance and superstition. Today, certain preachers are resorting to gimmicks to entice people to part with their money…

Gimmicks

These actually led to the Reformation when Martin Luther became convinced that these were phonies.

In 1997, Bishop David Oyedepo  called   for financial integrity in church and life in his comprehensive book on prosperity titled ‘’ Understanding Financial Prosperity’’, a book  I found in a choice place on Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s bookshelf.

Shortly before 200, the issue of financial integrity took the attention of Kenneth E. Hagin who then wrote his own, ’The Midas Touch. A Balanced Approach to Biblical Prosperity’’.

While introducing the book, he said, ’In this time of affluence and abundance, there is increasing concern among responsible Christian leaders over the alarming increase of confusion, error, and extremism regarding the prosperity message. I feel compelled to speak out to the Church at large about these issues and especially to address the subject of finances and giving. This book is an effort to bring clarity and understanding to those honestly seeking to find the main road of truth concerning biblical prosperity.

‘’I suspect that there are great many people- Christians and non-Christians alike-who, like the mythical Midas, have discovered that there is no lasting joy in things money can buy and that prosperity without eternal purpose leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction’’.

More voices have been crying in the wilderness of integrity. No  less a person like  Kenneth Copeland with a track record of financial integrity who said before me, addressing Bishop Oyedepo, ''Bishop, you are my teacher'', writes in his book, ''Walking in Honesty, Truth & Integrity'', ''If we choose to do the honorable thing- if we choose to live by the Word of God- then the honor of God will hold us up. God will provide for us because of His own personal honor and integrity. He has promised us that He will honor us when we honor Him''.


Kenneth Copeland, '' He has promised us that He will honor us when we honor Him''.

Bishop David Oyedepo is a proponent of honesty, truth and financial integrity in private and public life. He is a living fighter of corruption without a pseudo campaign.   

This is the Bishop David Oyedepo that Africa needs and indeed the body of Christ needs. It’s a redemption that we must get on our knees to demand and to faithfully pursue as a project.

Before Benny Hen’s recant, Bishop David Oyedepo intervenes.

Would congratulate the father of honesty, truth and integrity below?