Thundering in Nigeria — Andrew Strom

I am from New Zealand. I spent four years in the United States. New Zealand is a nation at the bottom of the world, right next to Australia. God is wanting to do something in Nigeria that is different from what we have seen.

Returning to New Testament Christianity

If we look back to the days when the British Empire dominated many of the nations in Africa. We see that the British bought some good things and also many harmful things. It is exactly the same in the spiritual world.

We have to look for ourselves at scripture and get back to what Jesus wants the church to be. If there is something that comes from America but it is not in scripture, I don't want it. It is either New Testament Christianity or nothing.

The American Church and the Love of Money

What are some of the harmful things that have been coming out of America in the last 20 years? I want to tell you, I see these things have invaded this nation and it greatly concerns me. In America the church is renowned for the love of money.

There are six huge famous preachers right now being investigated by the tax department of the United States. Six. Being investigated by the tax department in America. Why are they being investigated? It is because their lifestyle is so unlike Jesus Christ.

They have amassed for themselves selfish gain and wealth. They drive around in huge Cadillac cars, they stay in the best hotels, they own mansions by the beach. This is the lifestyle that many American preachers aspire to.

God is saying to the church around the world, does that sound like Jesus to you? Was Jesus born in a palace or in a stable? He said, if you will be my disciple, take up your cross and imitate me. That is what Jesus said.

God chose for Jesus to be not just laid in a little bed that they have for little babies. No, he had to be put down where the animals feed out of that manger, that trough. How many suits of clothes did Jesus have?

He had one suit of clothes. His disciples were fishermen from the very poorest of the poor. Jesus came as a poor man living amongst the poor and preaching to the poor. I want to tell you people that the love of money is destroying the church.

The love of money is destroying the church. And in America it has already destroyed the church. I don't know why we don't just get a big altar to Mammon and stick it at the front of a lot of American type of churches.

And the same can be said around the world. We have invented a Christianity that worships not just Jesus but Mammon at the same time. I want to tell you that God is getting set to drive the money changers out of the temple.

I want to tell you that God is getting set to drive the money changers out of the temple. Why do I say America is already under judgment? In 2001, the World Trade Centers on 9 -11, the worst ever disaster of that kind in American history.

Three years later, if that wasn't a warning enough, God sends four hurricanes criss-crossing Florida in one of the richest parts of the United States. Two years later, the worst hurricane that has ever hit the United States, Hurricane Katrina, slams into Mississippi and drowns the city of New Orleans underwater.

America is not listening to the warning shots that God is firing across her bowels. America is not listening to the warning shots that God is firing across her bowels. And last year, the worst school shooting in the history of the United States, 32 young people gunned down by one of their classmates in Virginia.

And last year, the worst school shooting in the history of the United States, 32 young people gunned down by one of their classmates in Virginia. Every one of these events has shocked the nation and yet still there is no repentance.

Every one of these events has shocked the nation and yet still there is no repentance. Americans love to consume more and more. They want another car, they want another house, they want a bigger refrigerator, they want everything new and modern.

They chase these things. They have passed this sickness to the entire world and it is especially bad in the church. Do you know what I believe God is going to do to preachers who rip off the flock and pour money into their own pocket from the sheep of God?

God is going to kill them and send them to hell. I want to say it again. Preachers who are destroying the flock by pulling all the money in for themselves and all their own lifestyle, I believe God will kill them and send them to hell.

If you want to follow America down into judgment, go right ahead. I will not be with you. Who is a good shepherd of the sheep? Who feeds the flock well? Who is a good father in the house of God? It is someone who does not steal from the sheep that Jesus loves and paid in his own blood for.

So, six of the biggest preachers, the biggest prosperity wealth preachers in America are under investigation by the tax department and I hope they get sent to jail. I want to say it again. Preachers who are destroying the flock by pulling all the money in for themselves and all their own lifestyle, I believe God will kill them and send them to hell.

Prosperity Preaching Exported to the Nations

Sadly, these very same preachers are the ones who are preaching to the entire earth on satellite television and it is being beamed into every third world country and every nation of the world. And so we find even in the poorest nations in the globe, we have pastors and preachers running around in flash cars with beautiful houses while members of their flock are virtually starving.

And when Jesus catches up with those preachers who are preaching to the entire earth on satellite television and all their own lifestyle, I believe God will kill them and send them to hell. And when Jesus catches up with those preachers who are preaching to the entire earth on satellite television and all their own lifestyle, I believe God will kill them and send them to hell.

You cannot serve God and mammon. You either serve one or the other. You cannot serve both. But we have invented a Christianity where not only do we push forward Jesus as we should, we push forward mammon and the blessings of money just as strongly.

Isn't that a new religion? Isn't that the religion of Jesus and mammon? It's not pure Christianity. It's the religion of Jesus and mammon. Two gods. That's the religion of two gods. What do we say to people?

Come to Jesus. He will pour money blessings upon you. Jesus here. Mammon right here. We're pushing them both at the same time. You cannot serve God and mammon, said Jesus. You will either hate one or hate the other.

You will either hate one or hate the other. Preacher, pastor, leader, I want to ask you a question. Do you hate mammon today or do you actually hate Jesus? I'm tired of flying around the world and finding everywhere there are preachers putting their hands in their pocket and stuffing themselves with the things they have gained from Jesus' precious shield.

Jesus' Teaching on Wealth and Poverty

Jesus clearly said this. He said how hardly shall a rich man enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus preached about money all the time.

He always preached against it. I'll say that again. Jesus did preach about money all the time. He always spoke against it. The biggest difference between us and the New Testament church is we are always speaking about money and we always speak for it.

That's because we have invented a new religion where it's okay to worship mammon and Jesus in the same breath. Luke chapter 6 verse 20. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor for yours is the kingdom of God.

Notice that he is lifting up his eyes on who? His disciples, his apostles, his preachers that he's about to send out and he says, Blessed be you poor. But now Jesus would have to say, Looking at his preachers in many nations across Africa and America today, He would go to say, Oh, blessed be you.

Oops. No. You guys are quite rich compared with the people you're sent to preach to. So how can I say this verse to you anymore? Blessed be ye poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Verse 21, Blessed are you that hunger now for you shall be filled.

Blessed are you that weep now for you shall laugh. Down in verse 24, Luke chapter 6 verse 24. But woe unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation.

Do we preach what Jesus preached anymore in the church today? Blessed be poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Woe unto you that are rich, you've already received your comfort. That's what consolation means, comfort.

Rebuking Wealthy Pastors Amid Extreme Poverty

A famous pastor from New York who pastors Times Square Church, Carter Conlon. He visited, I believe it was, it was a central African country not long ago. He said in that city there were 700 ,000 street kids, orphans on the street living in the garbage and on the gutters.

700 ,000 in that city. And he said that many of the pastors and preachers were driving around in their BMWs and their flash new cars. In the midst of some of the worst poverty he's ever seen in his life.

He said he rebuked those pastors as hard as he could. But he said judgment is about to fall upon you and your nation if you do not repent. I want to say to you that judgment is at the doors. There is a howl in the wind from God and it is going to wipe the floor with you.

If you do not repent of fleecing the sheep of God. What did Jesus say about the Pharisees stealing money from the widows? I wonder if the fancy car is worth eternity in hell. A rich young man came to Jesus.

He said I'm a decent young man, I keep all of the commandments of God. Jesus said to him, one thing you lack. He said to that rich young man, sell what you have and give to the poor. Then you'll have treasure in heaven.

Come and take up your cross and follow me. There is a false gospel that has gone around the world from America and I want to say this to you about Nigeria. That this gospel of money has been taken by the Nigerians more than any other nation.

I can go to every other nation in the world and not find it as bad as here. God is calling you preachers, what's it going to be? Mammon or Jesus? You want to live like the Americans? I've lived with the Americans.

It's garbage, it's junk, it's all going to burn. The fleshiest car you can find in the earth is like a puff of wheat to God, it means nothing. Except it just might mean that you burn for eternity in hell for taking the money of God and spending it on yourself.

Jesus, the Pharisees, and Care for the Poor

Do you know who the rich and educated people were in Jesus' day? They were the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests who hated Jesus because of his message. Because Jesus never stopped rebuking the rich and commanding them to be instead bountiful towards the poor and getting rid of their stuff.

Jesus clearly said do not seek after these things, those are the things that the Gentiles seek after. I want to say to you that if we wanted to invent a new religion of Mammon and Jesus, we're doing a great job of our Mammon and Jesus.

But if we want to serve Jesus and him alone, we're doing the poorest possible job that it is possible to do as long as we cling to Mammon. There is nothing more un-Christlike than this, a preacher from God driving around in the latest fancy car.

That he bought with the money from the people of God, nothing worse than that. A false gospel has gone around the world. In Nigeria it has landed, it has sprouted, it has grown a huge tree. And now it is spreading its fruit everywhere through this society.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

God is calling in this hour for prophets who will rise up against the false and preach the truth. Do you know what Jesus is doing right now? He is doing exactly what he did in the temple of Jerusalem.

He sat to one side watching the money changes in the temple and he started to fashion himself a whip. And when that whip was perfectly ready, he stood up and he forcibly drove those money changes out of his father's house.

And I want to warn you right now in the clearest language that I can find that Jesus is in the business of doing that very thing right now. He is fashioning a whip and he is going to drive the love of money out of his church.

And woe betide the preacher or pastor who stands up in his way. God is just as sick as I am. In fact he is much sicker. He is much sicker of looking over the church around the world and seeing the preachers fatten themselves for a day of slaughter.

Apostolic Hardship and the Example of Paul

Do we see the apostle Paul driving around in a beautiful chariot, living in a mansion, having the best horses that money can buy. Is that what we see the apostle Paul doing? He says very clearly in the book of 1 Corinthians that all of the apostles, himself included, live like the poorest of the poor.

The off-scouring of all things, that's how he described himself. He said we are in rags, we are beaten, we run for our lives, we stay up all night, we are in rags, we are poor. But oh no, you wouldn't think that today would you?

Was Jesus rich when he was on the earth? He was born in a stable, he had one set of clothes, he was a carpenter, which is a poor profession, he hung around with the poorest people, the fishermen. The poorest people, the fishermen.

He always commended the poor and rebuked the rich and it says that the Pharisees and scribes hated him and the common people heard him gladly. There is a call going out to the preachers of Nigeria today.

A Prophetic Call to Nigeria

The gospel of Mammon is killing the church in this country. It has already killed the church in America, already, it's gone. Christianity in America has been utterly destroyed in the last 30 years by comfort, materialism and wealth.

The judgments of God are upon America and they will come upon other nations who do not believe in Christ. If you want to live like an American preacher, as I said before, go right ahead, but be aware that your judgment day looms in front of you.

It is a false gospel. It is a false gospel. Since I've been coming to Nigeria, this is my third trip, I've been saying to the men and the leaders of God, Where are the prophets who will stand up in this nation against this tide of falsehood?

I say again, where are the prophets of God who will stand up against this falsehood? You see, God searched and searched in America before the judgments began to rain down. He was searching for men who would stand up in the church and say no.

And no voice was loud enough and the falsehood prospered greatly and it drove out everything good. I've lived in America for 4 years and I want to tell you, the church in America is a shell of what she used to be.

God is crying out for prophets in this land who will stand up and say enough. Where are the Elijahs of God when we need them in this land to stand against 400 prophets of Baal? Are you one? Are you a prophet of God?

I see people running around in Nigeria all the time and say prophets so-and-so. Apostles so-and-so. The true apostles and prophets of God in this moment would be standing against this falsehood to the cost of their lives.

They would be standing up against this falsehood at the cost of their lives. So don't come to me with your little card saying prophets so-and-so unless you're willing to stand up for truth when everybody else is chasing falsehood.

Elijah stood alone in front of 400 prophets of Baal and God is calling for men and women in this nation to stand in front of 400 prophets of Mammon. And say we will not serve this false god anymore. When faced with a choice between Mammon and Jesus, we choose Jesus.

True Prophets and Apostles Stand Against Mammon

I wonder where the real prophets of God are in this room at this moment. Do you know what a true apostle of God is like? He is a father of a household and he will not let any evil thing in the door. So do not put a parcel on your little business card unless you're going to stand up and keep the evil out.

And I want to say to you that the love of money is the worst evil that ever invaded this country. I say again, the love of money is the worst evil that ever invaded this country. You see it in the government, you see it in the society and worst of all we see it in the church.

The love of money is killing this country, it is killing the church. Will we repent? There is a move of God coming that if preachers stand up in the way of it, they will be run over like they were standing in front of a truck.

There is a move of God coming that if preachers stand up in the way of it, they will be run over like they were standing in front of a truck. It is a move of God that he will drive the love of money and man out of the church.

And when this move of God hits, it will bring a massive revival to Nigeria because when they repent of the love of money, they're getting rid of the key problem holding us back. I want to tell you I can feel this movement in Nigeria, I can feel it.

It is a movement where young men of God are going to stand up and they're going to start preaching the truth and they're going to stop preaching that mammon is okay and they're going to start preaching only Jesus is okay.

God is going to find the young preachers with daring in their hearts and courage like Gideon. And they're going to stand up and they're going to start proclaiming truth in this land. There is a movement of righteousness coming, it's going to invade the church and when the church is clean, it's going to clean out the government.

You see here is the order of God, the church must come first. And when the preachers of God begin to repent, it will invade the society. I wonder if you want to be part of a movement like that. I wonder if you want to be part of a movement like that.

A Call to Repentance and Righteousness

Because we're going to stand and pray in a minute. God's eyes are running to and fro over this nation seeking prophets who will stand. And there are some in this room, there are some in this room and I want to tell you God is calling you into a movement which will impact your nation.

Now if you have agreed with my message, if you turn your back on the love of money, if you desire to be a preacher only of the true gospel of Jesus and nothing else, if you commit yourself to a move of righteousness and truth in this land, only then raise your hands with me as we pray.

Prayer of Repentance and Consecration

Father God I pray again for every person in this room who is raising their hands before you God. Father pour down your Holy Spirit and anoint us in a new way God. God we repent of breaching the love of money.

God we repent of setting up altars to mammon in our churches. God we repent of preaching that gain is godliness. And God we pray anoint us and pour down your Holy Spirit on us. To drive the money changes and overturn the tables even in our own lives God.

In fact right now God we overturn inside our lives any table of the money changes in us. We trample on and we say be God out of my life in Jesus name. And we commit ourselves only to your pure truth oh God.

Make us prophets to Nigeria in this hour God. Make us oracles of truth who will not back down oh God. Anoint us for this new task in Jesus name.