Be careful about false prophets, Umunna urges brethren

For members of the Bible Life Church, the last one week was activity-packed. It was the 33rd annual convention Bonanza 2014 of the church with the theme: ‘Answer from Heaven’. The programme was held from December 23-27, 2014, within the expansive ground, called Success Land, opposite Leonard Umunna College, at Wilmer, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos.

The convention, which featured praise service; prophetic and breakthrough; fire for fire miracle service; healing and total solution service; deliverance/appreciation service, and victory to victory night service drew together a large number of the church members and invitees.

In his opening message, Leonard Umunna, a bishop and founder of the church, urged believers to be wary of false prophets who now take advantage of the challenging economic situation in the country to hoodwink people.

Insisting that such fake prophets are usually driven by lucre, Bishop Umunna said their increase in Nigeria was informed by the simple-heartedness of many citizens who are easily taken in by the lies of such conmen and women who masquerade as men and women of God.

Reeling out instances of destructive activities of false prophets in people’s homes, individuals’ lives, their careers, spiritual lives of people, among others, the cleric emphasised that it is only by believing and trusting in the Almighty God that people can overcome their challenges.

He recalled that a number of religious centres had been established to deceive unsuspecting and gullible members of the public, particularly those who have the mind to genuinely serve the Lord but find it difficult to differentiate between fake and real preachers of the gospel.

Umunna also advised believing Christian ladies to guard against going into false marital union that is not ordained by God.
“I want to advise ladies, particularly to guard their virginity jealously. There was a case where, unknown to the lady, some young men had entered into betting. One had told others that he would go to any extent to get her. So, the young man pretended to be a genuine Christian brother and very zealous. He approached the lady, who agreed without seeking the counsel of the church’s leadership. Eventually, a marriage ceremony was organised somewhere outside the church and as soon as the man has had his way, he revealed his mission, which devastated the lady. So, it is important that people should be very careful and prove from the word of God, His right choice for them,” he said.

Ahead of the 2014 elections, the cleric advised Nigerians to vote with their conscience and should also avoid any form of violence. He also prayed for free, fair and violence-free exercise at all levels, urging politicians, especially contenders and political parties to embark on issue-based campaign, and eschew rancour and bitterness since the motivation is to render service to the people of Nigeria.

In his welcome declaration, Umunna assured the teeming participants of God’s presence and determination to bless them to the fullest.
“I gladly welcome you to your breakthrough and total recovery encounter. I welcome you to a season of miracles without stress. It is my delight to usher you again into His awesome presence for a refreshing and unforgettable experience of heaven on earth. Welcome to this earth-shaking, soul-lifting and destiny realisation convention- Bonanza 2014- in Jesus name. O yes, it is your Bonanza moment: see it in your spirit, receive it and enjoy it in Jesus’ name.”

With this declaration, the convention took off on a good note. That was the first day of the event.
There were testimonies of diverse miracles received at the programme and of those that were experienced following the convention of the previous year.