06/16/2025
A Personal Letter to the Church in Nigeria
From a Watchman Burdened for Truth
To the Church in Nigeria,
I write not as one above you, but as one among you—burdened, broken, and burning with a desire to see Christ glorified again in His Church.
I have watched with grief as the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has been twisted into a tool for profit. What was once a message of hope, repentance, and eternal life has been reduced to a formula for wealth, a transaction for miracles, and a platform for manipulation.
We were called to preach Christ crucified—not Christ commodified.
How did we get here and when do we draw the line? When did the altar become a stage for performance? When did the oil become a product, the water a brand, and the pulpit a throne? When did we begin to sell salt, apples, wristbands, and even women’s nightwear as if the Holy Spirit could be packaged and sold?
I have seen fear replace faith. I have heard leaders say, “You will receive nothing unless you sow a seed.” But the God I know is not a merchant. He is a Father. He gives freely to those who ask in faith, not to those who pay in fear.
To our church leaders who have turned the house of God into a marketplace: repent. You were called to feed the sheep, not fleece them. You were entrusted with souls, not sales. You were anointed to serve, not to dominate.
To the believers who have been wounded, confused, and exploited: return to the Word. Test every spirit. Know the voice of your Shepherd. You are not powerless. You are not voiceless. You are not merchandise.
To the remnant—those who still tremble at His Word, who still weep in prayer, who still long for revival—do not be silent. Do not be discouraged. The Lord sees you. He is raising up a generation that will not bow to Baal, that will not sell out for silver, that will not dilute the truth.
Let us return to the simplicity of the gospel. Let us preach Christ—crucified, risen, and returning. Let us cleanse the altar. Let us tear down the idols. Let us be the Church again.
With love, urgency, and hope,
Martins LJ
A Watchman for the Truth
