RIVERS PFN: THOSE CREATING DIVISION AND QUESTIONS THEY SHOULD ANSWER (1)

In my earlier treatise entitled: 'PFN Rivers: Choosing and Changing Leaders - Whither bound?' l emphasized the evil of few misguided Rivers indigenous ministers to settle internal issues by taking the leadership of PFN in Rivers State to court contrary to Scriptural injunction that Christians should not go to court before unbelievers (see 1 Cor. 6:1-5). More-or-also to agitate, seek for position of leadership of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria on the basis of ethnicity negate the Bible and Constitution of PFN. Questions arise should Rivers indigene head CBN, Banks and multi-national companies because they operate in Rivers State? Every entity registered by law operates by law and constitution. Should a joiner tell a founder that because the group operates in his land that he is entitled to heading the group in his place? On spiritual Christian level what does the Bible says on these issues? This series in several parts seeks to pose some questions that those holding the work of God and the body of Christ to ransom should check their consciences and answer. If they are still in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5-8).

What are the issues? Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria PFN is acronym for Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the umbrella organization 'of Holy Spirit filled Christian Churches and organizations who believe and practice the full gospel message (Acts 2), in an independent and autonomous Christian fellowship'. PFN is a respected Christian organization in this Country. Like every other organization, we are ruled through constitution under God in the power of the Holy Spirit, structurally organically it ought to be democratic, but for it spiritual nature being 'organism' the Fellowship is theocracy, i.e. the Fellowship is guided by the inspired Scripture, the Bible in choosing and changing leaders as demonstrated in Acts 6:1-7. Which means the General Assembly in keeping with PFN Constitution chooses her leaders - administrators while the National Executive confirm by laying on off hands. The recent attempt to choose new leaders and reappoint some in PFN Rivers State at the instance of Board of Advisers headed by Rev. Stephen Akinola that has become the subject of litigation as instituted by the duo of Bishop Friday Nwator and Pastor Dr. Dagogo Jack is shameful and against biblical injunction and the PFN Constitution.

In 2009 before the inauguration of the current PFN Rivers State leadership headed by Apostle Zilly Aggrey, Bishop Friday Nwator and co instituted legal action seeking to have the Fellowship leadership being headed by an indigene of Rivers State. Contrary to the position of over 120 past and present Zone Chairmen and over 600 ministers at my instance wrote to the National Office protested and called attention to the error in the processes of choosing and changing leaders, the National Office of PFN headed then by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor succumbed to the antic of a few ministers of Rivers State origin as led by Bishop Nwator, whose membership of PFN Rivers State chapter is in doubt to agree to an out of court settlement that compromised the Scripture and PFN Constitution. Now again, this ethnic chauvinists' and jingoists are at it again, instituting legal action to control and assume leadership of PFN Rivers State. What are the grounds for this agitation? Is it constitutional to choose and change leaders on ground of ethnicity? What does the PFN constitution and the Bible say? On this issue, l wrote severally entitled: 'PFN Choosing and Changing Leaders', 'The Christian Faith and Ethnic Politicking' and 'PFN: What will Jesus Christ say?' And 'PFN and CAN: Who is dividing the Body of Christ?' In all l assert that it is wrong to choose and change leaders of the Christian Faith or PFN Fellowship in particular based on ethnicity contrary to Scriptural teaching.

The story of PFN in Rivers State: PFN Rivers State started when the National Body sent to Rev. Barr. Faraday Iwuchukwu in 1985. He organized the meeting that had late Barrister Membere as the pioneer State Chairman. Followed by Bishop Elkannah Hanson. Rev. K. J. Ogan took over from Bishop Hanson on an interim. Bishop W. T. Iwo took over before Apostle Eugene Ogu. Except Apostle Ogu all previous Chairmen were indigenes of Rivers State. At the tail end of Apostle Ogu's leadership agitation of Rivers indigene heading PFN Rivers State started when some few Rivers indigenous Ministers formed independent body called Rivers Gospel Ministers Association when politics were allowed to lead instead of the Holy Spirit. The Government then under former Governor Barr. Celestine Omehia recognized them and discriminated against non indigenous Ministers. Today the agitation as represented by Archbishop Dr. Friday Nwator, Pastor Dr. Dagogo Jack, Rev. Bethel Jaja, Rev. Lazarus Azia and their likes typified what Apostle Paul observed concerning the Galatians Christians: 'O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?'(Gal. 3:1-3). In 1985 almost all those agitating for indigene heading PFN either have not been members or become Christian. The question the current opposition against Apostle Zilly Aggrey leadership of PFN Rivers State is it scriptural and constitutional? Does this ethnic agitation build the body of Christ in Rivers State? How does Rivers State indigene heading PFN Rivers State build faith, delivers the oppressed and demonic afflicted people and bring salvation to the lost and enthrone righteous leadership? Does the Bible support the division being cause by a few among us? A non indigene Rev. Barr. Faraday Iwuchukwu was used to start Rivers State PFN. He did not agitate to head the body. Over the years almost all Chairmen who administered the body were Rivers State indigenes. Non indigenes supported their leadership? Why are these brethren allowing themselves to be used by Satan to cause division in the body of Christ? How can we be voice, light and salt in a world in trouble with acrimony, dissension, rivalry and self seeking for positions of leadership? How can we lead and give direction to politics and politicians and being led by the spirit that rule children of the disobedient one, Satan the devil? Herein is what the Bible teach on division and how to handle those who cause divisions among the brethren and the Body of Christ.

Division: Breaking the Heart Of Jesus – Division: the strategy of Satan: Jude 17-19, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.'

These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” (NIV). (I) The origin of division: From creation to the cross and from the cross to eternity, God's purpose in creating man is comprehended in unity and fellowship out of His image. Man and woman were created in His image and they were one flesh. When Adam lost God's image through rebellion, he lost unity or oneness with God and all of creation came into conflict as a result. There is a common pattern from creation to today: from deception, to pride, to rebellion, to division and conflict. The definition of sin is “to miss the mark” and the mark is Jesus. When Adam missed the mark in the garden and rebelled against God's commandment, he experienced death or separation from God. Adam's one act of rebellion led all of creation in conflict with God and each other. Adam no longer held a position of oneness with God when he permitted sin to enter his life and as a result separation or division existed between God and man and between man and nature.

This one thread and theme passes all through the scriptures, but its origin goes back even before the fall of Adam and Eve, it points back to the fall of Lucifer. In one point in time, Lucifer decided that he was not content with his position with God. He found fault in God's order and felt he should have a position above the throne of God, he wanted his own space, he wanted to be like God. Satan made the same identical proposition subtly to Eve and Eve passed the deception down to Adam. That line of deception has passed down to us today. We all subtly want our own space; we all want to be the one that everybody recognizes. We want to be our own boss. Have our own ministry. Run our own church. We want to be in control, whether we feel we deserve it or think we are better and more qualified for it, it makes no difference, it is the origin of sin: separation and conflict. Lucifer's rebellion leads a number of God's angels with him and from then on, it has been his plan to repeat this action on God's family here on earth. Every time Satan causes a split in the body of Christ, it is a reenactment of that first original conflict that took place in heaven. His deception led to rebellion and through his rebellion he has caused myriads to fall with him. The name Satan means “adversary,” the opposer, he was originally called Lucifer, “Morning Star,” He once played a chief rule in Heaven, he was truly the Morning Star. His disguise and deception, in the midst of heaven, convinced many of the angels to go along with his rebellion against God. What angel would have expected Lucifer, one in such high esteem and authority to make such a mistake? He possessed so many virtues and talents, God placed him in a position of authority. Rebellion was totally unheard of; no one knew what it was. Lucifer's action seemed innocent enough, it made sense, what difference does it make who gets the worship or who is in authority? Some angels might have even felt closer to Lucifer than to God; they were under his authority or principality. We will never know what was in the deceived hearts of those who went with Lucifer, or how he so craftily convinced them to do so, we can only guess.

I am deeply suspicious that the splits we see in the church today are only the mirror reflection of what originally took place in heaven. All splits from Satan to Sunday school are the same, they have one plan, they serve one purpose, to separate and destroy the precious family of God. Satan's one ambition is to deprive God of His fellowship and union with us and to deprive our fellowship with one another. There is only one person who wants to divide the body of Christ: Satan. He only needs to use one person to divide a church: it will be a leader. It takes a leader to betray a leader. If Satan, a being so powerful, so deceptive, so crafty, could deceive the angels in God's presence, how easy do you think it will be for him to deceive us. He comes as an angel of light, he spins his deceptive powers over us until we are convinced that our actions of leaving have the interest and blessing of God. We find no scripture to do so, no prophet, no apostle, and most of all; we have never heard it from the lips of the one who died for our unity. In the place of unity, Satan has placed enmity and division. Paul in speaking to the Ephesians has shown that God gave the blood of his Son “that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body through the cross” (Eph. 2:15-16).

Reconciliation can never work as long as you have division, you must have restoration before you can have reconciliation. It was never God's purpose to have two brothers to remain in division, God's whole purpose was to reunite, restore and bring them back together again. We cannot have true reconciliation until we are willing to tear down the walls that separate us and we are willing to restore the unity we first enjoyed. Chuck Swindoll in speaking of division and its cause commented on Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Selfishness and conceit and pride are the things that break down our fellowship and erode our unity. Everything you need to know about getting along well in a family, to say nothing of getting along well in a church, is right here in these verses. If you're on a church board and you're wondering what's going wrong, what's missing, what's happened to the unity you once had, I'll guarantee somebody isn't abiding by these verses.” “You want to pull together as the family of God? It's merely a matter of obeying Philippians 2:3-4.” Pride and “self-ambition” remain as a prowling lion in wait…… What deception! Truly the church has fallen asleep; we need a restoration of biblical principles.

Unity of the Spirit obligates us to be involved in each other's lives. What God has created through Christ is not to be torn apart lightly. No opinion or preference is worth destroying the body of Christ. Paul made it clear that the elders of a locality had a responsibility to that area. He told the elders of Ephesus to “…. take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:28-31, NKJ) –”Therefore watch,” Paul reminded them of their obligation and responsibility as overseers. “for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” –”purchased with His own blood” The church comes with a high price tag and those that oversee it should not take it lightly. –”Salvage wolves,” sounds strong in relating to a pseudo or deceived brother? If you have ever seen a wolf tear the carcass of its pray, you would know what Paul was talking about. A trained and domesticated wolf can be a beautiful animal, he has a handsome majestic appearance, but left to his lower hunting nature, he can be vicious and salvage. We must consider the “result” of what the wolf does to its victim in order to understand Paul's definition of a “salvage” wolf. When someone tears up the blood bought body of Christ, no matter how innocent the appearance and how soft the bark, he is a salvage wolf. It is a disgrace and an anathema to the love of God and His Body. He is vicious, ignorant and indifferent and it is an insult to Christ. –”Speaking perverse things,” the word perverse comes from the Greek word diastrepho, dia means “through,” and strepho means to “distort or pervert. ” The idea is that they take an idea or plan and distort it in relation to God's word and plan. They do it as though their actions warranted it. They use words that deceive the innocent saints that are not committed or familiar with scripture. These deceived saints are convinced that what they have done is Holy, godly and scriptural: that is diastrepho that is perverse.

I am concerned that on the level of local church leaders, we are playing too passive of a role in matters dealing with division and its causes. No officer in the m ?.'klmjnmkilitary would put up with such insubordination. No worldly company would put up with such inner conflict on the job. How is it that we have been so lulled to sleep in matters of such grave significance to the body of Christ? We are not to be a passive force in our society, we are an army, we are a family, we are a kingdom, and we are the blood bought body — the church! If men of leadership do not take the responsibility of leading, we will by default surrender the power over to Satan to destroy us and scatter the sheep, That my brothers, was never the intention of Calvary, of the epistles, the Gospels and the intention of Christ Himself.

This is a very serious matter in a vary serious time, we should take it before God as such. Warfare and armor have no meaning if we don't know where to fight. We need to have truth; it is only through truth that we will be free from the bondages of divisions that are ravaging the church today. The flesh colored bandage is not working and will never work. When something is permitted and accepted, it becomes the norm for all generation to follow. Division today is accepted and we have accommodated it. “A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; He winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.” Prov 6:12-15.

Written By Dr. Lewis Akpogena, a Christian Devotional Writer/Minister, Education Management and Media Consultant.

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