Archbishop John Osa-Oni, founder and Senior Pastor of Vineyard Christian Centre, has pleaded with Christians to stop looking for miracles and instead return to the foundational truth of God’s Word.
He also appealed to church leaders, urging them to be content with preaching the Word and allow God to perform the acts that only He can, rather than placing undue or excessive emphasis on miracles.
The Archbishop made this call at a press conference on Thursday November 27 announcing the church’s yearly Word Conference, which is scheduled to hold from Wednesday, December 3, to Sunday, December 7.
Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo, Pastor Dean Brown, and a host of other prominent men of God are expected to minister at the five-day event, which is set to attract participants from both within and outside Nigeria.
The Infallibility of God’s Word
Answering reporters’ questions on the conference and other critical issues, Archbishop Osa-Oni stressed the limitless power of Scripture in people’s lives.
“I have known God since 1972 when I became born again. I have not seen the word fail in the lives of people,” he affirmed. “We should be content with just preaching the word and allow the Lord to do what He alone can do. We should not fake miracles and force it.”
Recalling his own journey from an idolatrous background to embracing Jesus, the Archbishop shared that the very day he committed his life to Christ, he preached, and about 12 people immediately gave their lives to Christ.
He maintained that when believers live in the realm of God’s Word, they will not panic or be frustrated. He recounted a personal experience: “I recall an instance I was preaching and a boy convulsed in the course of the message. I did not panic. I just kept sharing the Word of God. Many were wondering how I could confidently be preaching when such a thing happened. But in no time, the boy came back to himself and became normal.”
Decrying Distractions in Church
Archbishop Osa-Oni lamented the diminishing attention span of the average church attendee to the Bible.
”Many people no longer pay attention to the Word of God. They would rather be pressing their phones while the word of God is going on,” he stated. “The attention span of people to good teaching from the Bible is dwindling. We need to wake up and embrace the Word.”
The Word Redefines and Rebuilds
Having taken the Gospel to about five continents, the Archbishop emphasized the transformative efficacy of the Word.
“The word of God redefines you, it rebuilds you. If you do what the word says, you will experience transformation. The whole world is created by the word. There is nothing the word of God cannot fix. Anything the word can’t fix does not exist,” he asserted.
He further urged his colleagues in the pastoral ministry to always prioritize the Word. “Life is about learning and unlearning. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Another translation says he is a new species. God sees a new you,” he said.
”People should have that understanding and stop living in the past. Your old self has died and you are now new. It is the word of God that should shape your thinking.”
He stressed that believers should neither run after nor be obsessed with miracles. “I believe every child of God is a miracle. People should stop coming to look for miracles in the church but rather should focus on the Word of God and do what the Word says.”
”Don’t come to church because of marriage, business, or anything mundane. If you know God genuinely, you will not have trouble obeying God. He becomes your all in all,” he added.
Obedience and Personal Testimony
The Archbishop shared a profound personal testimony of obedience:
“I was engaged to a white lady whose grandfather was a prime minister of the country I was in. I had everything going on fine. But God asked me to come back to Nigeria and specifically go to Ilesha to Pa Sydney Elton to give me direction… I did not hesitate. I obeyed and came back to go and meet Pa Elton. He kept me waiting for about three days before he could confirm God’s word for my life.”
”It’s been over 40 years since I came back to Nigeria. I have no regrets. The church started 38 years ago in Owo. God has helped us. There is nothing better than being in the will of God.”
He clarified that wherever the Word of God is being preached, signs and wonders will naturally follow. “We must balance it. You must come to hear the word rather than seeking a miracle. People hear the word and they receive miracles,” he said.
Archbishop Osa-Oni, a one-time Director of the Fire Conference and Financial Director of the Reinhard Bonnke Crusade in Nigeria, also shared a COVID-19 survival testimony.
“I was almost gone during COVID… ironically, my doctor encouraged me to be listening to my past messages. I kept doing that. It was in the course of listening to my old messages that I heard a voice that said to me, ‘This is not unto death.’ That was how I keyed into that voice and came back on my feet.”
Call for Action on Insecurity
Addressing the spate of killings and insecurity in Nigeria, Osa-Oni noted that people have talked enough.
”What we need now is action. The government should act fast to stem the tide of insecurity in the country. Innocent lives are being lost daily. We can’t continue to look on.”
He also weighed in on the issue of police officers attached to private individuals. While agreeing that some people abuse the privilege, he argued that blanket withdrawal is not the solution. “What government can do is to assess the risk potential in withdrawing the security personnel from some people. In my case, I had to engage police officers after several attempts on my life during encounters with armed robbers.”
Asked if this contradicted his reliance on God’s word, he responded: “God is the one who protects. We are to take precautions. I do not see any contradiction in that. It’s like closing your door. Christians commit no offence if they do something about their personal security.”
