PROF.
BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons)
MA, PhD.
DELIVERANCE PRAYER IN FORM OF MAGIC (PART 5)
FALSEHOOD
IN FAMILY LIBERATION
Main
Text:
“… I am the Lord your God… You shall
have no other gods before me, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
punishing the children for the sin of their fathers to the third and fourth
generation of those who hate me”, (Exodus 20:1-5).
WRITER’S
QUOTE:
“The family that takes refuge in
Christ finds freedom from curses”.
INTRODUCTION:
The
concept of family liberation, according to Ben Onyeukwu, is fast becoming a
household one, especially in societies where idol worship had prevailed over
the years. Both proponents and exponents of the concept hold that families are
trapped into curses as a result of an unbroken involvement in idol worship as
may have originated from the times of their forefathers.
However,
the idea that believers in Christ also suffer from the curses of forefathers is
not biblically correct, since the Scripture teaches that God punishes the
children of the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation of
those who hate Him, but shows love to a thousand generations of those who love
Him, and keep His commandments, (Exodus 2:5-6). Be it as it may, the major
concern in this work is to correct the wrong approach to “family liberation”
and not the scope of the operation. Having cited this, please learn that;
FAMILY
LIBERATION SHOULD AIM AT FREEDOM AND NOT MONEY
The message of the Kingdom of God carries the efficacy
of healing, deliverance or liberation. However, no matter the term used or the
area of application, the simple injunction to the operatives remains, “freely
you have received, freely you shall give” (Matthew 10:7-8). According to Ben
Onyeukwu, community or family liberation, as it is called, aims at the breaking
of curses or spells placed on people by Satan and his agents of destruction.
Therefore, family liberation should gear towards the dismantling of the
stumbling blocks of curses, and the casting out of the enforcing and monitoring
demons of spells, and these are only possible in the Name (Mark 16:17), and
Blood of Jesus, (Revelation 12:11). But, false liberation operatives seems to
put aside this basic truth of the Bible, to embark on fruitless rituals and
other means of deceiving the people into believing that liberation takes place as the perform
unbiblical religious ceremonies in the name of liberation prayers.
In
continuation, let it be noted, therefore, that the “washing of feet”, the
burying of what is referred to as “holy stone” from Israel in the compound of
those who seek liberation from curses, without repentance, the excavation of
sand from such family spots, and praying over it, as a way of fortifying the
people against curses, as well as the sprinkling of what is known as “blest
water” or “olive oil” where evil is suspected are some of the false ways of
conducting family liberation, and the major aim in the exercise is the
marketing of the listed religious items for money and not freedom.
FAMILY
LIBERATION SHOULD DRAW FROM THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD AND NOT TALES
In the words of Ben Onyeukwu, “truth is any genuine fact
about an event, a person or thing”. Essentially, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is
the true message by which He sets anyone who believes free from sin and its
consequences. This portrays the fact that freedom from the diabolical works of
the devil, including curses, can only be secured through the channel of the
gospel, and this is, when the message is transparently presented by a vessel
chosen by God for that purpose. In other words, self-made preachers cannot
liberate anybody from the powers of demons or secure liberty for those who are
bound, since they themselves are also in bondage.
The
worst expression of falsehood is to assume a sacred responsibility that God did
not assign to one, and when one is not appointed by God into any office, one
definitely will have no message of His to present to the people, and this is
why false preachers tell tales, instead of undilutedly preaching the word of
God. In this connection, Jeremiah says, “such prophets follow an evil course,
and use their power unjustly. They prophesy by Baal, and lead the people
astray, (Jeremiah 23:10-3). Do not listen to what they are prophesying to you,
he continues, they fill you with false hopes, as well as speak visions from
their own minds, and not from the month of the Lord, (verse 16).
So,
be wary of those preachers who during family liberation prayer sessions engage
their clients in genealogy tales, instead of citing relevant scriptures that
inspire faith for the desired freedom (Roman 10:17). For, as Ben Onyeukwu puts
it, “when gospel messages are (faithfully) presented, varieties of freedom
seeds are sown. Some come with healing seeds, to give freedom from sicknesses.
Others come with prosperity seeds, to give freedom from poverty, and many
others come with different types of seeds that give freedom from various kinds
of problems that trouble the human race”. But, gospel messages are never
effective where people do not believe in them or where the preachers of the
word are impostors who have no link with the Spirit and Power of God.
FAMILY LIBERATION SHOULD EXERCISE FAITH IN THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST AND NOT AMULET
FAMILY LIBERATION SHOULD EXERCISE FAITH IN THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST AND NOT AMULET
According
to the BBC English Dictionary, “an amulet is a small object which people wear
because they believe it will protect them from evil or injury. Another
definition, by Hobart Freeman, shows that, “an amulet is a material object on
which a charm has been written or over which a charm or spell has been cast. It
is carried or worn in the belief that it will protect from evil or bring good
luck. Sadly, today, this demonic concept has been translated into the modus
operandi of the Christian Church by certain preachers whose pedigree cannot be
linked to the God of Heaven. It is obvious that religious ceremonies in such
groups feature the consecration of amulets which are sold to members or
adherents for protection and other purposes, whereby diverting their faith to
godless objects and symbols.
Before
now, the Catholic Church has been accused of misleading the people by the use
of relics of the saints and that of the cross of Jesus Christ but the present
trend shows that the Pentecostal groups are dangerously leading in what they
previously condemned in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. Regrettably, those
who once condemned the wearing of relics of the apostolic saints nowadays
mass-produce and distribute aprons that bear the images of church leaders to
members. Also, certain elements who in recent pass said it was biblically wrong
to use objects of the Catholic Station of the Cross in prayer are presently
consecrating bangles for the purpose of protection and good fortunes, and these
often play-up during liberation prayers for families and individuals.
But,
the authority of Jesus Christ is fused in His Name, and Blood. And, any
liberation prayer which seeks to break curses or spells invoked against the
people must adhere to use of these divine instruments, and nothing more. In the
words of Jesus, demons are cast out in His Name (Mark 16:17), and according to
John, the revelator, the Blood of Jesus is God’s means for overcoming the devil
and his works, (Revelation 12:11). Of importance, also, is the fact that only
Jesus can redeem from curses, (Galatians 3:13).
Therefore,
the idea of second fiddle to Jesus in prayer, as introduced or allowed by
certain religious leaders remains exegetically out of place, though proponents
of the concept cite the biblical expression, “where is the God of Elijah (2
Kings 2:14) as a reference point for such a practice. Prominent in this style
of prayer are; the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Renewal Movement of Nigeria, led
by the Reverend Lazarus Mouka, and the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries
of the Reverend K. Olukoya, whose members have today taken to prayer
expressions like; “in the name of God (or god) of Lazarus Mouka, I cast you
out” or “in the name of the God (or god) of Olukoya, I destroy you powers or
darkness”, in Jesus name Amen!
Exegetically,
let it be noted that the expression of Elisha as cited in (2 Kings 2:14) was a
spontaneous prompting of the Spirit of God, which as well happens today, and
not a design to establish a style of prayer that attaches the names of
religious leaders to it, since by principle of interpretation, it is wrong to
build-up a doctrine on just a verse of the scripture or on exceptional cases,
like that of Elisha, as this type of misconception often leads to the
establishment of false tabernacles, which Jesus did not approve of when the
Apostle Peter opted for it, at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8).
Furthermore,
this mode of prayer if not checked, may eventually prompt adherents in future
to enthrone such religious leaders as new human intermediaries, after they must
have died. Thus, new prayer expressions like; “Saint Mouka, pray for us, “saint
Olukoya, plea our case”, and so on, may come up in the process, in deviance
from the teachings of the Bible, (I Timothy 2:5).
In conclusion, attention should once
again be drawn to the fact that this work pictures the breaking of the
inherited curses of the forefathers as the major issue in family liberation, as
it acknowledges other sources of the problem. The work also, throws-up several
false ways of conducting family liberation, as well as stresses the need to
uphold the authority of Jesus in the exercise, since He is the only One that
can solve problems of curses, no matter the source. DON’T BE DECEIVED.
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