When you
enter his office, you will have no doubt of his close affiliation to the
doctrines of Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of Christ because the
pictures of this man of God are very conspicuous in all the corners of his
office. And Pastor Peter Israel Obaseki, the founder of one of the fastest
growing churches in Benin City , the Divine Grace of Glory Church is also at
logger heads today with many of his colleagues in the state.
Other men
of God in the state don’t relate with him. They are disgusted by him to a level
that each time he gave out his church Almanac to his fellow men of God, they
tore it shortly after he left their offices . But while facing prosecution in
so many fronts, Pastor Israel has been waxing stronger as people come from all
parts of the country to receive healing.
As a
matter fact, his gigantic church edifice is a great testimony to what he has
learnt from TB Joshua whom he described as his mentor and spiritual god father.
The controversy surrounding this man of God took Saturday Vanguard to Divine
Grace of God last Monday for an encounter . And when this reporter came, it was
quite revealing, as Pastor Israel was more than prepared to provide answers to
all the posers.
After
observing the pictures in his office, this reporter inquired why he
displayed the pictures of the Synagogue man and not that of Jesus Christ
and he did not hesitate to answer the question like he has been expecting it.
He explained: “My relationship with Prophet Joshua is all about God’s
grace because I as a man of God have been in the Ministry and I began to
listen to other men of God, listen to their messages and I heard the message of
Prophet Joshua and it blessed me so much.
“I had to
go to the Synagogue Church and when I went there, the prayers I received became
a transformation to my life and Ministry. Then, I decided to remain and attach
my self to Synagogue Church of all Nations . My church project started about
one year ago. As a matter of fact, my former structure was just a kiosk. But
when I got in contact with Prophet Joshua, he gave me the anointing water after
I told him about my challenges in the Ministry.
“And when
I came, I anointed the compound as directed by the prophet and I told God to
give me the same grace he gave the prophet by providing for me. And my church
project began and I noticed that since we started the project, God will always
send people to assist in one stage or another. We have never raised fund in
this church and launched any thing but today we have this big edifice. The
anointing water Prophet Joshua gave me was what I used in anointing the
church. We have never lacked financially”.
Reminded
that he was accused by other pastors of alleged involvement in cultism, Pastor
Obaseki said that “I placed the picture of Prophet Joshua in my church almanac
because of the role God has used him to play in my life. Everybody will like to
associate where you experience favour and he has been a blessing to my life.
And I decided on my own to place the photograph on my almanac. Since I did
that, it has been raising dust. So many pastors have been carrying different
rumours that I have been initiated into the cultism .
“People
have asked me to remove the picture in my Calendar so that I will be able to
relate to other pastors but I said no, no body called me into the Ministry but
God. So, I always seek the hand of God before I take any decision. I never see
Prophet Joshua as a cultist, God revealed him to me before I went to him. And
he has been a blessing to me.
“When I give my almanac to pastors, they will
tear it and throw it away. But I said well, no problem, the God that called me
is the one giving me direction of where to go to. They said that I am a cultist
. So many pastors have raised dust that the anointing water I give to my
members is from the marine world, that it is evil. There are so many rumours
but I am not bothered because my conscience is clear”.
Speaking
about his mentor at the Synagogue, he asserted, “Yes his powers are from God.
Before you go and meet a man of God, you always pray to God to reveal the good
person to you. I always tell my members that as you come to this Church, make
sure you ask God to reveal to you the secret of Pastor Israel Obaseki. I have
prayed persistently and God revealed to me that Prophet Joshua is a
genuine man of God. And the anointing part of God in his life is all by God’s
grace. When people don’t understand you they, always criticize you but when
they understand you, they will destroy you”.
Commenting
on the problem between him and members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
(PFN) in the state, he explained that he decided not associate with them
because of what he described as the unclean life majority of the members are
exhibiting. His words “I am not a member because there was a day I attended
their meeting and I saw the way pastors were challenging themselves. Pastors
were cursing themselves like unbelievers.
“The way
they were threatening themselves and exhibiting anger falls short of the
teachings of Christ. I looked at it that there is no way I will grow
spiritually if I continue to associate with these people. So I decided to
pause, I have received several invitation letters for a meeting but I have
rejected them due to the reasons I gave you. Even when my father was alive, I
was having the sign of God’s calling but I was never interested because my
father suffered so much in the Ministry.
“We are
twelve that my father gave birth to but none of us were educated because my
father suffered as a Minister of God. It was even difficult for us to feed. So
when I saw what my father passed through, I never wanted to be a man of God.
But all I promised my self was that when I become a business man, I will
sponsor church programmes. Then I took a step to travel out to Libya and but
while I was sleeping one day in the Nigerian ghetto in Libya , a mad man
started beating me on the ground, saying that God is calling you and you
refused to answer him.
“But
before then, I always see my self in the dream preaching to a very large crowd.
So when I left Libya back to Nigeria, I said I was coming home to serve the
Lord and that was how I found myself here. And truth is that the story they
told me before I went to Libya was not what I found when I got there. The place
was like hell for me and suddenly, there was this war in that country in the
year 2000 when Obasanjo was President. He sent a plane to evacuate Nigerians
living in Libya and honestly speaking, I sent that plane after my prayers to
God to save me from that country. It was when I came back that I made up my
mind to work for God”.
Some pastors sleep with
other people’s wives
“The society is actually corrupt and it is supposed to be the duty of men of God to assist in bringing sanity to the society. But unfortunately, you will find out that most of us pastors are after wealth, and when a pastor is after money, you can never be after God. And today you see a lot of pastors going to see native doctors, herbalists to prepare charms for them so that they will become miracle workers. That is not of God. Today, many are accusing Prophet TB Joshua that he is not of God but some of these people are the worst pretenders on earth.
“The society is actually corrupt and it is supposed to be the duty of men of God to assist in bringing sanity to the society. But unfortunately, you will find out that most of us pastors are after wealth, and when a pastor is after money, you can never be after God. And today you see a lot of pastors going to see native doctors, herbalists to prepare charms for them so that they will become miracle workers. That is not of God. Today, many are accusing Prophet TB Joshua that he is not of God but some of these people are the worst pretenders on earth.
“When we
deny the truth, we will remain in darkness. What Joshua is doing in this
country, I have not seen a man of God doing that in this country and that is
why every man of God should stop judging each other. So many pastors are too
fast in judging others. We have so many fake pastors. There are so many people
that have deiced not to go to church again because of what pastors have done to
them. I have had many of such people in my church.
“Pastors
have exploited them, cheated on them, carted away people’s property, pastors
have even taken some people’s wives and this situation has corrupted the minds
of a lot of people and they have decided to remain pagans. So it is sad that
some of us who are pastors that are supposed to repair the society are now problems
to the society. I see this as a satanic trick to collapse the society. A lot of
Pastors have criticized me, but I am very happy that they criticized me because
when they do that, I know that God is using me to do his job.
“For
example, when I married twelve years ago, it was difficult for me to have
children. My wife was always having miscarriage until I went to Synagogue
Church of God Mission and the man of God TB Joshua prayed for me and gave me
the anointing oil and water. My wife used it and got pregnant and we had a baby
girl. When my wife was pregnant of that child they said it was fibroid that she
should go for operation.
“But we
kept on using the anointing water until the day she delivered. Yet rumour
mongers did not rest, they said Pastor Israel has gone to buy a child. When
they heard that I went to TB Joshua they said TB Joshua has given me a magic
child. After that my wife delivered another child a baby boy, they still went
to town that it’s another magic. But I am not troubled with all that and I
believe that Prophet TB Joshua is real and not fake.”