Editor
Some Pastors have made People Confuse Spirituality and Religion
A pastor in Zambia makes believers kiss his feet
We carried a story that was headlined: “Pastors or Sorcerers?” In our February 24th issue that, has made people complain that the Pentecostal churches’ preachers are ripping their parishioners off their earnings. To some extent this is not farfetched.
This comes as a result of misunderstanding the spiritual ordering of tithes, sacrifices and offerings. Without going into Biblical quotations, it is important to note that all these are based on certain promises and requirements that a believer has to have.
The first premise is that a person is a believer. Secondly, one has to have faith. Thirdly, that, the person has to put that faith into practice.
Somewhere in the Bible, it says that a person, who does not believe that there is God, is a fool. That is not contestable! You either believe in God, or you do not!
You cannot disbelieve the presence of God, then go to a “Man of God” – and expect him to pray and effect a miracle for you to receive plenty. It will not happen!
And, if you believe in God, then you must “have” and “exercise” that faith. The Bible calls it “believing” that you already have something you are praying for, although you cannot “presently see it”. This is what, in the normal language is called, “Building castles in the air”.
There are other requirements to prayer. You must also “give to God” – that is called tithing. A tithe is returning what God gives you that already belong to Him. If, you don’t, the Bible calls it, “robbing God”.
Also, you must “plant” seed. This is one of the most infallible principles of life. When you plant seed, it is obvious that you will “reap” a “harvest”. The Bible has transferred that practice to its followers. Do not expect to reap where you have not sown. That is why Jesus Christ said that it is more honourable to give than to receive! Other forms of giving are “sacrifices” and “offerings”.
Whereas miracles happen to people virtually all the time, people put that to either, “luck” or good “accidental” happenings. This maybe the result of something they inadvertently “planted” sometime back; and they forgot about it.
Otherwise, after all that prayer life of: giving, sacrificing and offerings, the Bible requires patience for a person to receive from God. To add to that, the Bible says that there are “seasons” for everything, even sowing and reaping.
In other wards, for all these things to happen, there are principles and a manner of behaviour one has to adopt – and consistently. But the average person going to a Pentecostal Church does not subscribe to all these.
Instead, they want to give their tithes, and immediately they have left the worship service, they expect their prayers to be answered. In the sphere of God, such can take place as a miracle. But in most cases, it will come if the person has subscribed to all the principles that God has ordered in the Bible.
Without all that, you will be giving the fake pastors a clear leeway to rip you off!
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