I have just come out of deep waters of introspection from where I have drawn inspiration to make the following observations.
Let me make myself clear that what I am putting out here is based on my study of the scriptures and the World around me.
There is this belief among Christians that prosperity can be bought. It is a gross misconception of the ways of God.
If your purpose of giving to the Church is in anticipation of personal prosperity, you are tempting God. If you give because you believe that it is only by so doing you will be blessed, my brother/ sister, you do not understand God.Our God is God of discernment of the inner recesses of our hearts.
Don’t ever imagine that I do not know that the Bible says we should give. But to who? There is greater emphasis in the Bible on giving to the poor; to the needy; to the disadvantaged; feeding the hungry and clothing the naked than financing the pastor’s vanities like birthdays and buying jets and expensive cars for him.
Not long ago, a leader of one of the Pentecostal churches came out bragging that in a period of global COVID- 19 pandemic, God had blessed him with a third private jet. And yet in his Church, there are widows whose children are out of school; there are unemployed graduates, roaming the streets. If you are truly a man of God, the cost of private jet can empower a good number of those unemployed graduates to start small scale enterprises.In the midst of all these, you continue to put pressures on your members to finance your vanities.
My deep affection for TB Joshua was because as he was receiving, he was lifting many out of poverty. He was more concerned about the comfort of the needy than that of himself— so he gave lavishly of everything he had to the poor and weak.
There are some Foundations that understand the concept of giving more than what most pastors are making the world to believe .
Senator Fulbright scholarship scheme has created dozens of big people worldwide; so are Rockefeller , Ford and Jimmy Carter Foundations etc etc.
God is moved when He sees a Good Samaritan in us than when we go for attention- seeking engagement inside the church. It is that Good Samaritan in us that provokes God more , to respond to our requests. The good you do for the helpless in private, when nobody is watching and seeing you is of greater significance than that new Jeep you are dashing your pastor in the front of a congregation.
When you ignore a nephew who is about to drop out of school on account of inability to pay fees and instead go to the Church to openly finance a program, you are wicked. You are more interested in the Pastor’s acknowledgment of your activities than in helping a brother to find meaning in life.
There is difference between giving to promote the spread of the gospel and giving to be known and respected by your pastors.
The building of the church— providing good accommodation for worship and financing the publication of materials and TV 📺 programs for purposes of spreading the gospel is a compelling obligation for Christians— but according to the depth of individuals’ pocket. Tithing and offering are scripturally obligatory for Christians.
Furthermore, most Christians do not understand the real meaning of seed sowing. Some surrender to the manipulation of selling all they have and believe that when they give the proceeds to their pastors, they have sown the seed that will open their doors to prosperity. That’s not my understanding.
Character is seeding; your wish for your neighbor is seeding; how you respond when a brother or sister is in distress is seeding; kindness as well as wickedness are also aspects of seeding.
When you carry your full month salary to the Church but in your neighborhood and workplace all you radiate is aloofness to the worries of others, do not imagine that God is deceived. If we expect God to forgive us our sins , we must first fulfill the condition of forgiving those who trespass against us.
Yes, God’s wish is that we prosper in good health. That is true. Doing good to those who cannot repay us or from whom we expect nothing in return pleases God . What we do inside the church is praise and worship, but the Christianity in us is revealed outside— not the tongue speaking and acts of piousness we showcase in God’s presence.
The second strongest economy in the world is China . The Chinese do not believe there is God , yet the country and its people are prosperous. What does this teach us.? God is more concerned about the final resting place of our souls than the transient luxuries in a world in which our stay is so short and brief.That is the kernel of Christianity. The salvation of our souls with the desire to make it to heaven is what should drive Christianity.
That’s not to say we should not enjoy here— but what form of enjoyment! We need food and shelter. We need to be comfortable and when it pleases God to bless, let’s not fail to give Him glory. Let’s not fail to continually appreciate and pray for those who are used by God to come to our rescue each time we are faced with one form of challenge or another.
Politicians who kill to win elections go to the Church for thanksgiving. And thereafter start enjoying. Is God deceived?
