Before we examine the practices that could make a minister or a ministry fake, let’s first see some of the things that have kept the ministries of TB Joshua and Chris Oyakhilome estranged from other Christians, and also make many to believe that they are fake.
The first is the miracles. Most people (believers and unbelievers) do not believe that the miracles often televised by these ministries are real. They believe they are ‘arranged’ or the healings and testimonies are mostly unverifiable. And this lends credence to what Agomoh and Bisi (TB’s former confidants) are saying - that the so-called miracles done in Joshua’s synagogue are fake.

Agomoh said he was part of the team that often arranged or manipulated people to confess of healings and miracles that never took place. He mentioned people who stay in the wheel chairs pretending to be disabled that would later claim they have been healed and that so many with incurable diseases like HIV, cancer, etc, whom the prophet claim heal, actually go home to die.

TB’s former Ghanaian associate - Nii Ayiku Amartey also said the same thing. Listen to him, “TB Joshua came to deceive Ghanaians with manipulated miracles involving 20 Ghanaians who are all now dead.

Kayode of Awakener's chapel and Michael Lathbridge were part of this great deception of Ghanaians and must tell Ghanaians of their part in this crime against the people of Ghana.” Twenty Ghanaians whom Joshua claimed he healed died! Well, Nii should know better because he was an insider.

But this is just a small percentage of the thousands whom we are told die after being manipulated to confess that they have been healed.

The other thing is that these ministries tend to promote their founders, their self-acclaimed spiritual powers, signs, miracles, prophecies over the person Jesus Christ and the gospel. Please, there is nothing wrong with signs and wonders so long they are genuine and done to magnify the LORD Jesus. But these ministries through their powerful and well-equipped media do everything to show how great and powerful their owners are.

Bisi, the former head of TB’s media team elaborated more on this. I still ask why Joshua didn’t take the duo to court for defamation if they are lying, because the revelations in that video are very shocking and unbelievable. Again, sometime ago, I watched Joshua’s prophecy on the Australian Air Ambulance that overshot the tarmac and landed in the sea. It was indeed a perfect material for them. They flaunted it. It was very clear that the whole thing was done to show how powerful the man is. I didn’t see how God, Jesus or the Spirit of God came into the picture. It was all praise to the Great Prophet!

Now, should all these be done in a genuine Christian ministry? Who do you want to please by showing off miracles and signs? And must they be arranged and unverifiable?? What is the aim? And miracles be done with other powers? Can Satan, sorcerers, magicians also perform signs and wonders? Is miracle a sure-proof that a minister is of God? What is the original aim of God initiating the working of Miracles? But can we touch all these here? I doubt. Maybe we will start from the last.

God’s original purpose of initiating miracles and signs is to show His power and sovereignty over nature and the affairs of men. Signs are to convince men that God exists and that His is in control of the universe. Signs are meant to be used to propagate the gospel. They should point or lead people to Jesus Christ and not to the preacher, prophet or pastor.

Anything short of this is definitely satanic. What we see today, especially in these two ministries (and others like them) is like a showbiz or promotion of the persons. They want people to see how anointed, how powerful and great they are. Or tell me why a deliverance session should be televised to the whole world to watch? Now, compare this attitude with Jesus’, who will heal people and tell them not to tell anyone. Today, they even go ahead of the person to tell the world!

Now, let me quickly add that it is not only God that does signs and wonders. Satan and his agents also do. But the word of God called theirs lying signs and wonders. Yes! Listen to 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, “This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.” That is the word of God! The book of Revelation said the same thing. The Devil and his agents will do very great signs, miracles, wonders, prophesies, especially in these last days, but their ultimate aim will be to deceive and divert people’s attention from Jesus, holiness and the true gospel.

So just miracles, signs, charity, etc, are not enough to authenticate a ministry or a minister. Satan can also do all of those to deceive people, so says the scriptures. There are so many fake ministries and ministries in the world today and more are coming. Though, some of them did not start out as fake, but unfortunately because of the love of power, money, fame, the glory of the world and influence, they bowed to Satan and are now working for him.

They still bear Christian names, act as Christian organisations with great signs, miracles, wonders, prophesies, etc, but they actually got their powers from the Devil. We will soon talk about charity and good works in the next part. I know you’re itching to hear that. But how do we know the real and genuine ones?? Yes you can know. We will continue next week, God bless!