Who Made Pastor Chris Okotie The Judge Over Pastor T.b. Joshua?

If there is anyone that instantly feels uncomfortable when someone that is highly respected by the people stoop too low to self-deprecation, it is unarguably this writer. I usually find it difficult to see someone I hold in high esteem suddenly puts himself down!

For the same of clarity, the person being referred to in the foregoing into is no other person than Rev. Chris Okotie. It is expedient to say in this context that the respect I have for him were due to his creative disposition and his predilection for verbosity; which the Edo people jocularly call “Igodomigodo” brand of English Language. As gathered, Okotie attended the prestigious Edo College in Benin for his secondary education between 1971 and 1977 where he had ‘A’ Level certificate in 1978 and proceeded to study law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Not few writers are unanimous in the acknowledgment of his multi-talented nature that was evident from his childhood and which became more apparent when he became the lead singer of the Edo College school band. It is written that his exploits in music blossomed and while he was studying law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he eventually rose to become the most celebrated Nigerian pop music star in 1980 when he released his first album, ‘I Need Someone.'

Thus, at the peak of his young musical career and to the bewilderment of the show business world and the general public, in 1984, he decided to abandon his musical career and return to the university to complete his study of law. It was in this period that he had his conversion experience and became a born again Christian, having experienced the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was eventually awarded a Bachelor's degree in Law at his graduation in 1984, thereafter moving to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos. In 1985, and in obedience to a divine call from the Lord Jesus Christ, he left the shores of Nigeria and proceeded to bible school in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the United States of America to prepare for a life of Christian ministry.

He returned to Nigeria in 1986, and after being commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ, launched into pastoral ministry with the inauguration of the Household of God Fellowship in 1987, and which later became The Household of God International Ministries.

For the achievements which aggregated to make me have respect for his person has recently fizzled out. The reason for my present perception about him cannot be farfetched as I am highly averse to the denigrating comment he recently made about the sake of clarity, let me be blunt enough in this context to say that despite all the foregoing enviable credentials and late Pastor T.B. Joshua.

For the sake of clarity, I am not an affiliate of the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) where Joshua in his lifetime presided as the lead pastor and founder.

However, the comment about the late man of God which the cleric who heads the Household of God Church International Ministries made in the stead of commiseration leaves much to be desired of a personality of his caliber, more so, from someone who has been desirous to be Nigeria’s president as he has for the umpteenth time claimed he heard the message to lead Nigeria from God.

He was reported to have commented that God is conquering the adversaries of his church. According to him, the wizard who assumed the title Emmanuel has now been consumed by divine indignation.

He wrote, “The wizard at Endor who assumed the title Emmanuel, has been consumed by divine indignation. And now his disciples bewail his ignominious exit. No marvel, one third of God’s angels followed the disgraced anointed cherub Lucifer!! According to the cleric, God has broken the head of the dragon with his mighty blows as he is conquering the adversaries of his church.

He concluded: "Let those who swear by the Lord and by Malcham and the descendants of Haman, now tremble in fear. The day of the vengeance of our God has fully come to Nigeria. And they shall not escape. Operation Hupopodion (footstool) has commenced. More Power To You!!!"

Without any iota of exaggeration, not few people in the Christendom know that it is wrong to judge other people. Well you may say, “Jesus said you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears.” He did say that. Yes anyone may be able to see someone else’s sin or weakness, but the ability to see that does not give such person the credential to judge. Jesus had some instruction about judgment for us:

For instance, it is stated in Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”.

In fact, anyone that has the predilection to judge others would naturally see the size of the hammer he swings toward others swung back to him, and should be ready to be judged by the same standard he uses in judging others. It is said that anyone that judges another man will always have judgement returns to him and exposes him in the same area he has judged someone else and exposes himself in the same area. It is expedient in this context to proverbially say that our fathers had said that “If one finger is pointed at someone, three fingers will point back to the one that points his or her fingers”. Simply put, when tempted to judge others, remember to examine your own life and carelessly judging others is Hypocrisy.

Matthew 7: 4 says, “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”.

It is expedient to note that most of the time when Christians judge others, the result is punitive and harmful. Our hearts are to be directed in bringing people into wholeness and health, and anyone who has ever been the subject of mean spirited judging realizes how devastating and harmful it can be, not to talk about the dead.

Without over-flogging this issue, it is expedient to ask, “Who made Chris Okotie the Judge over T.B. Joshua?”