has engaged in an interactive session of
questions and answers with his nearly
1m fans on Facebook, giving interesting
insight into contentious issues within
Christianity. The session was tagged
#AskTBJoshua and dealt with issues
ranging from disunity in the church and
the proficiency of pastor's children to
misbehave.
One reader surmised that pastors
"don't seem to be one" today, asking
Joshua what he felt was the cause.
His response: "We pastors, we are
one," TB Joshua, who is the founder of
popular Christian television station
Emmanuel TV, began. "However, a man
may confess, 'I am a pastor' but not
such in heart – [such men are]
intruders. We may bear the same name
but we are not doing the same work."
On how people can identify a Real
Pastor, he said...
The identifying feature of a true pastor
is contentment, he added that the
disunity evident in Christendom today
results from this essential component
being absent. "True pastors are
content. When you are content, you
will not compare yourself with others or
measure yourself by yourself. Doing so
causes disunity."
Queried as to his doctrine on sin,
Joshua said, "That you are a pastor does
not mean you are not going to miss the
mark or make a mistake," evaluating
that the mistakes of Christians actually
intensified their zeal to serve God. " The
mistakes of others keep them away
from God but those of Christians
strengthen their desire for God because
they have a relationship with Jesus
Christ already ," he stated.
Further questioned as to why some
fanatical devotees said they are
'following T.B. Joshua' and the
suitability of such statements, Joshua
quickly denounced the notion, quoting
Jesus' words in John 14:6 and stating,
" T.B. Joshua can only point the way but
he is not the way."
Another fan asked whether Joshua had
ever fallen sick, noting that they had
never seen him publicly receive prayer
or suspiciously miss a service. " That you
are a pastor does not mean you are not
going to be sick but our sickness is not
like others . When sickness comes, we
see the need of God the more," he
stated, citing the biblical example of
Apostle Paul who had 'a thorn in his
flesh.'
A concerned reader asked whether the
regular nightmares he experienced
indicated he was not born again. Joshua
quickly countered this assertion.
"Anything close to Jesus receives
attack," he encouraged. "That you are
regularly facing challenges does not
make you an unbeliever. Don't
measure your Christian life by your
situation."
Another question probed what Joshua's
weakness was. "As a Christian, when
you are weak, then you are strong," he
simply stated. "Not mine, the strength
is not mine!" The cleric also added, in
answering a question about debt, that
borrowing money does not amount to
sin as long as "you have the desire to
pay it back."
Another question bordered on the
difference between 'Christians' and
'religious people'. "Religious people are
without spirituality," the pastor said.
"We are only made Christians by living
in the Word of God and by the Word
living in us. True Christianity lies in the
heart, in the purity of the heart."
A further question revolved around a
scenario where a pastor prays for a sick
individual who does not receive
healing. "True ministers must know
God's will on a matter – whether it is
the time to do so or not because
challenges can be used to strengthen
our desire for God," Joshua wrote.
"Letthe will of God be done. Because of
Christ, we pray."
T.B. Joshua, who is known to be one of
the most criticised pastors in Nigeria,
was also asked about how he handled
his persecution and the praise
showered on him. " It is all about Jesus,
not how I am treated or how I am
doing. There can be no praise without
rebuke." He cited the need for gold to
pass through a furnace as part of its
refining process. "So also, human
character must be tested in a real
situation."
Joshua added his voice to the growing
concern raised within the Christian
community to the manner in which
pastor's children tend to become
rebellious and wayward. "It is all about
upbringing," he stated. " When we fail to
train our children the way we train
workers in the vineyard who are under
us, they are bound to misbehave."
TB Joshua said that the children of
pastors should see 'Jesus as Father' and
their earthly father as a 'mentor'. "If we
mentor them, we will bring the good
out of them. If we father them,
opposite is the case," he added.
Source: The Official TB Joshua Ministries
Page on Facebook
0 100000:
Post a Comment