{"id":250736,"date":"2016-09-22T18:19:41","date_gmt":"2016-09-22T18:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=250736"},"modified":"2016-09-22T18:19:41","modified_gmt":"2016-09-22T18:19:41","slug":"why-god-hasnt-killed-obinimyet-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/09\/why-god-hasnt-killed-obinimyet-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Why God hasn\u2019t killed Obinim\u2026yet! [Article]"},"content":{"rendered":"

You don\u2019t have to be well-versed in the Bible to know this self-styled \u2018Bishop\u2019 is a false prophet; so why the heck is he allowed to operate freely and with such audacity\u2026 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0and for so long?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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TRUE OR FALSE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The day I got on the same flight with \u2018Bishop\u2019 Daniel Obinim, O how I prayed! Neither the huge, blazing white 4\u00d74 he was chauffeured to the Kumasi airport in nor his skimpy suit impressed me. His obviously bleached countenance was striking yet not even that occupied my mind like this doomsday thought: \u201cis today the day?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the first place, I was wondering why on earth this Founder and General Overseer of International God\u2019s Way Church did not just turn into a bird and make the short 45-minute flight to Accra since he claims he has the ability to turn into other creatures. Apparently he can turn into a lion, dog or\u00a0snake and bite<\/a> people to death on spiritual visits or siphon money from people and places (banks beware!). Perhaps he hasn\u2019t upgraded to the avian realm yet\u2014I don\u2019t know and I don\u2019t care\u2014but clearly the \u2018Bishop\u2019 needed a lift that day. But why today of all days?<\/p>\n

\"'Bishop'
\u2018Bishop\u2019 Obinim and his aide-de-camp just a row ahead of me on flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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LITMUS TEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be well-versed in the Bible to know this \u2018Bishop\u2019 is a false prophet. Don\u2019t let the things money or marketing can buy fool you. \u201cThe Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.\u201d<\/em> (1 Timothy 4:1-2, emphasis mine)<\/p>\n

Jesus Christ shows us the way to tell who\u2019s true and whose not. First He warns us: \u201cWatch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep\u2019s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.\u201d (Matthew 7:15) Then he gives us the litmus test twice <\/em>in a space of five verses: \u201cBy their fruit<\/strong> you will recognize them. (vs. 16 and 20)<\/p>\n

Doctrine is important in telling who\u2019s a real \u2018man of God\u2019 and who isn\u2019t but ultimate test is fruit\u2014their character and consequence of their lives. Things like their speech seasoned with salt, their love, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Let me not go into the litany of Obinim\u2019s character issues, from slander to sex. By the way, according to him, his adultery with one of his junior pastors\u2019 wife<\/a> was meant to be a sign to his followers that he is human and not as divine as perceived by them.<\/p>\n

Forget the miracles. Not all miracles are done by the Spirit of the Living God. Ask Moses and he\u2019ll tell you about Jannes and Jambres, the famous magicians of Pharoah. \u201cAaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron\u2019s staff swallowed up their staffs.\u201d (Exodus 7:10-12). Later, these same sorcerers duplicated the changing of water into blood (7:22)\u00a0and the production of frogs (8:7). However, the sorcerers were powerless to duplicate the other plagues (8:19).<\/p>\n

You may recall that God gave Pharaoh and his magicians\u2014and indeed all of Egypt\u2014a very long rope. They had nine<\/em> opportunities (you may call them \u2018plagues\u2019) to change their minds and their ways. Eventually by the tenth they did\u2014but only when it was rather late. So much and so many had already been destroyed.<\/p>\n

Feeling so annoyed and vindictive that July afternoon I was wondering: is today the day God is finally going to finish off Obinim? Would he have come to the end of the rope by the end of this runway? Oh, and my prayer was not so much for him but for me\u2014that this wasn\u2019t the day, time or the means by which God was going to bring Daniel Obinim to book because I would end up as \u201ccollateral damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE GOD WHO IS WEAK AND SLOW<\/strong><\/p>\n

So why hasn\u2019t God killed Obinim\u2026yet? First, for God\u2019s sake. I\u2019ve learnt a cardinal lesson from searching the scriptures this year that has shocked me, to say the least. It hasn\u2019t been so much the fact that God wants His glory to be seen among all peoples, for his fame and name to be spread to all nations and throughout all generations per se. What I\u2019ve found shocking is what<\/em> He wants most to be known for<\/em>\u2014something my judgmental and vindictive self considers rather weak and unimpressive!<\/p>\n

In Exodus 33:18-34:8, God told Moses He would proclaim His \u201cname\u201d before him.\u00a0 Then He proceeds to list some phrases or ideas (especially Exodus 34:6-7) which reveal that for which God wants to be \u201cfamous\u201d:<\/p>\n