NIGERIAN CHURCH WHERE ANIMALS ARE OFFERED AS SACRIFICE (LOOK)

Welcome to a weird church where animals are freely slaughtered for sacrifice. As you step into this place of worship, you are confronted with the sight of a spot on the right that will make you conclude that you may have strayed into a slaughterhouse.

Even though insinuations of a slaughterhouse stick out starkly and grisly, this is by no means an abattoir. There is neither buying and selling of meat in this worship centre called As God Said, It Must Done, The Temple of The Most High God.

An evangelist at the church explained that the spot is called the ‘Earth Altar’ and that it’s where different types of sacrifices are offered unto God.

Located on a street named after it, Off Fakunle Street, Oke-Aro in Ogun State, a suburb near Lagos, the church is neither Pentecostal nor orthodox. All the same, both the shepherd and the sheep are strongly convinced that they are serving the living God the right way.

This reporter gathered that the blood splattered all over the ‘Earth Altar’ is that of animals. Similarly, in sharp dissonance, the mode of worship verges on the oddity, just as members cling on to what many people will consider unusual beliefs and teachings of the church.

As your curiosity wanders untrammeled at the multihued sight of the church and the strangeness of its name, you meet Prophet Blessed Dike, the general overseer and self-styled seer.

He tells you with celestial audacity that God revealed the name of the church to him while in a trance. “While I was praying God gave me the name of this church from the Book of Isaiah 46 verse 11”, he said.

A probing by this reporter further revealed that besides the ‘Earth Altar’, the church also has a place called the ‘Holy of Holies.’ A worker in the church, Mr. Isaiah Anyaehie explains that the ‘Holy of Holies’ was put up as a replica of the ark of God built by Moses in the Old Testament.

Like the pool of Bethesda in the Bible, members believe that anytime you are sick and you climb into the ‘Holy of Holies’, you would instantly receive your healing.

Here, members show forth when they also want to receive forgiveness of sins and other requests from God. “We have access to the ‘Holy of Holies’ anytime there is a special programme in the church. When you ascend into the ‘Holy of Holies’, you would be healed of whatever ailment you have and whatever you ask God for, He would do it for you,” another member said.

While you are still wondering why the entire premises is painted in red and white, the self-styled seer tells you that white symbolizes peace while red is totemic as it blots out sins.

“God used the blood to wipe out the sins of Adam and Eve. We offer sacrifices because that is what God commands. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other great men in the Bible offered sacrifices,” he said.

A female member of the church revealed to this reporter that members of this church are expected to wear red or white attires every first and last Sunday of the month. On the floor of the auditorium, there are straight red lines drawn across the floor. She explained that the red lines are Angels’ pathways. “God revealed to Daddy to make those pathways because angels usually visit the church,” she said.

There are two types of sacrifices that are offered in As God Said It Must Be Done, the Temple of The Most High God, this reporter gathers. There is the sacrifice of atonement, which is offered when seeking forgiveness of sins from God.

In carrying out the sacrifice, the prophet slaughters whatever animal the member provides at the ‘Earth Altar’ and ‘forgiveness’ is obtained from God after the prophet has prayed and blessed the person.