Mrs Deborah Olowe, takes a critical look at the Nigerian Church, from the pulpits to the pews, and wondered if we have not lost the essence of Christianity the way we go about it.

There was a day I went on an evangelist outing in the company of other Christian brethren. We had visited a number of houses and introduced many to Jesus. The next house we visited was a different scenario. While our earlier listeners looked on, may be out of politeness and feigned rapt attention, the woman we encountered in the last house did not waste time to ask whether we attended the same church as her neighbour.

When it was confirmed we did, she advised that we should leave before other neighbours realized this. Without being pressed for her reasons, she made a list of what her neighbour and our “model ambassador of Christ” often did in the neighbourhood. The picture painted was worse than that of an average infidel. In sorrow and shame, we made our retreat fast before other disenchanted neighbours came on the scene.

I was traveling from Abuja to Lagos aboard Trans-Saharan Airline. As usual I showed my appreciation of the power of God that allowed such a mighty aircraft to break through the gravitational law of nature and rise through the clouds to another plane where you can perceive another sky. As I was shaking my head in awe of the Almighty, one flight steward moved close and noticed I had a tract in my hands. He summed these two up and asked whether I was a Christian. When I said yes, he told me point blank that I should cover my face in shame. Not being used to such a blunt address, I demanded an explanation. In obvious sorrow, he told me Christians in Nigeria had failed Christ as they had lost tract of the narrow path.

This concerned Christian worried about the neglect of the Word for the wisdom of the world. He asked whether the church leaders of our times were leading by imitating Christ as the early Christians did. He could not give vivid examples of the church that catered for the poor in the congregation. He cited cases of poor church members who would go through great length to contribute materially to the running of the church when no one bothered about their inability to pay their rents and children's school fees. They were rather treated to the show of affluence with pastors and their wives engaging in fashion parades. There was even a crowd pulling church where the afflicted were expected to pay a certain fee before they could see the “man of God'.

He listed more disturbing anti Christ practices in the church. He lamented that Church leaders took pride in the number of their congregation instead of the number of those of them that would make heaven. Testimony times were times of miracles of provisions and of victories over perceived and imagined enemies especially identified witches and wizards.

With a degree of poignancy, he asked whether Jesus' prediction about the end times would not come to pass as the situation in the church showed that that there was much worldly knowledge to the detriment of the church as it was acting as coolant to the love of man for God. For consolation, he expressed that God still had His prophets who had not bowed to the Baal of these times. As a parting warning, he prayed that we would not be lured away from the narrow path.

Not being used to such a blunt address, I demanded an explanation. In obvious sorrow, he told me Christians in Nigeria had failed Christ as they had lost tract of the narrow path.

The Nigerian church is image focused and cares less for the downtrodden and the spiritual well being is put on the back burner. The Word of God is treated as a literary material. Quoting from the Bible is merely a show of head knowledge not of heart full of spiritual food. One old Christian prayed one day that God should choose to make Christ's second coming to be on Sunday when most Nigerian Christians put on their veneer of Christianity.

Going down memory lane to about fifty years ago, being a Christian was a different ball game. Then, being a follower of Christ was demonstrated in the external as it mirrored the internal. The man Jesus was alive and tangible. You could see and hear Him. As you heard the roar of the devil, you also felt the reassuring super power of Christ as it reverberated on the pages of the Bible and the peace and comfort that embodied the companionship of the Holy Spirit in constant prayers said alone and among other believers. In the madness and insecurity that pervaded the world, the peace that could not be explained in logical terms made the Spirit filled Christian to relax and anxiety free. The love and respect for others suffused relationships.

Purity in living was respected and appreciated. The Christian was made to be conscious of the ever seeing and omnipresent God. Psalm 139 was a constant reminder of the God who saw Ananias and his wife Sapphira as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles 5: 1-11. Sin was put in its proper place. The Christian was assisted to believe in the Word of God like an infant would the word of its mother, not like a reverent gentleman who told his congregation that he believed everything in the Bible but the conception of Jesus by Virgin Mary. Imagine the effect of that expression on the spiritual fate of the listeners of that messenger of the devil.

The pulpits of the old church hammered resoundingly on obedience to the Word even when it sounded stupid. Take the case of a Christian who was asked by the Holy Spirit to go the bush near his church and preach a redemption message that highlighted the love of Christ for mankind. A modern Christian would regard that as pure madness. In this particular case, a frustrated individual was inside the bush ready to put his neck in the noose he had prepared as his own suicide apparatus. In obedience, this preacher expounded the Word of God as the Spirit led him. He did not resort to his repertoire of personal knowledge. Rather he allowed the words that were flowing from his heart to course out freely.

When he felt the inner witnessing that he had said enough, he returned to his praying and forgot about the episode. A little while later during a revival, a man came forward to give his life to Christ. In his testimony, he talked about the Angel that talked to him at the point he was about to insert his neck into the noose. He explained that he decided to take his own life in order to get out of a world where nobody loved him. His attention was caught by the refrain: “Jesus loves you. He died for you. Why do you allow yourself to be deceived by the Devil. Jesus loves you.”

The Old Times Religion

In the good old times, each day was heralded by the chiming of the church bells inviting faithful to the prayer service. This was 4.30am. By 5.00am, the churches were filled up with sleepy children being dragged by their mothers, elderly women blowing out their oil lamps in favour of big lanterns. The men would be there with their dog ear Bible. The worship service was unpretentious. Everybody clapped so hard that the neighborhood was alive with the rhythm of the music and the lyrics that accompanied this attested to the glory of God. Sleepy eyes opened, the stooping gaits disappeared, overnight anxiety evaporated. The messages were alive with fire of the Word. It was always an experience of heaven on earth. As much as the daily worldly responsibilities beckoned, it was as if the morning hours would stand still as they did for Joshua at Gibeon .

The day away from the church was expected to mirror Christ. Love for others was emphasized in the form of giving- materials from what were barely sufficient for the giver and giving of one's time to help others. You become your brother's keeper. In this sense, your brothers and sisters were beyond your blood and marital relations borders.

Every Christian was your relation as your relationship transcended earthly boundaries. In love you corrected any of them that were going outside the will of Christ. The reference was the BIBLE only. Even though life was hard, it would be much harder if one fell short of the mercy of God. It was a lot easy to fall by the way side, but brotherly love exhibited in overt love expressions helped to get others who were weak in the faith to tag along. The strong in the faith often realized the fact that it was the grace of God that got them going. Instead of being proud of their spiritual attainments they would in humility encourage others and spend time in prayer for the weak brothers or sisters.

The Christian home was marked with humility and generosity. The door was open to anybody who cared to enter and they would be welcome unconditionally. The sound of amen always rent the air as prayer sessions were as constant as there were reasons to pray. It seemed house holds competed for prayer times and would like to boast about answered prayers. Mothers spent quality times waiting on the Lord in fasting and prayers. “Leisure” times would be spent reading the Bible.

Children from Christian homes were noted for their conduct. They were reliable, responsible and a source of pride to their parents. They were often cited as reference points in the community.

Bible reading was so cherished that illiterate men and women learnt to read so that they could read their Bible. It was fashionable for the elderly to wear huge lensed eye glasses called “spectacles' during Bible reading sessions. The amount of time spent on Bible reading would be put to test in the church when people competed on would first find a called Bible passage and read it fluently.

Children from Christian homes were noted for their conduct. They were reliable, responsible and a source of pride to their parents. They were often cited as reference points in the community. Talk of swear words, such would not be found in their dictionary. When some parents complained that their children spent too much time in the church, some parents of worldly children would ask whether they would change places.

The individual Christian was aware that he/she was being read as an epistle. Any slight misstep taken by a Christian in the community was exaggerated, distorted and taken out of seams. They learnt they had to develop themselves through constant reading of the Bible and memorizing key verses. Praying on everything- food, journeys, relationships and all activities for the direction of the Holy Spirit was normal. Praying for others and for the church all over the world was a must.

Whenever a problem occurred it had to be committed to the Lord before referring it to an earthly agent. Witnessing was regarded as the number one assignment of the Christian. One derived much joy from the number of souls that were assisted to get to the cross. Being a Christian at that material time was associated with persecution. It was not a bread and butter experience. Therefore it was ubiquitous to praise God when a modern person feels like God has abandoned him/her.

There was also the constant joy one derived in the company of other Christians who shared their peculiar experiences of the revelation of God by observing nature around. Take the case of a Christian who encouraged brethren to learn about God by studying nature. When these brethren came together the next time, they were excited to discover they had a long list of things that showed the almightiness of God right from the hair of the head which came from a zero store on the scalp.

In addition, one was admonished to do a sort of spiritual accounting at the end of the day. Make a balance sheet by listing your daily account of your activities – how many persons you have touched positively / how many you have touched negatively. One's sincere answers to these questions often assisted in getting many Christians to shape up. Many often would want to do this before they went to bed as they did not know the exact time that Christ would come back to the second time. He might choose to come during the night when people were asleep. They would not want to be caught hands down like the five foolish virgins.

An Appeal

Whether we like it or not this world will come to an end. The Devil still deceives some people to believe that the world will not come to an end. Their reasoning has been so distorted to the point that they cannot ask why people die and are not seen again. Neither can they ask how this world maintains orders. The day comes and go and the seasons have not failed to appear at their appointed times. The power that controls all these is the Almighty God. He has His law which is constant and irrefutable.

The law is what shall be put in place on the Day of Judgment. No one shall be regarded as guiltless. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The only guilt free are those who believe that Jesus is God and that He came to this sinful world and shed His blood as an atonement for our sins. This blood shedding ritual is the only way we can be reunited with God the Father after Adam our first father lost that opportunity of divine relationship with God. In order to sustain this relationship that Jesus paid for on the cross with His sinless life, we must allow the Holy Spirit to have 100% control of our lives.

Do not be deceived. Let's return to the old times religion. We do not lose anything except the passport and visa to hell. Consider what it would be like to share eternity with the devil and his angels. It is unimaginable!

My comment on this story.

• I believe God can help me. Please pray with me.